Mayor Carney Announces Appointment of John Cook as Director of Community Safety

WILMINGTON - Mayor Carney on Tuesday announced the appointment of John Cook, former Executive Director of Delaware's Group Violence Intervention (GVI) initiative, to head the City's newly formed Office of Community Safety.

Cook has more than 17 years of experience in public service, with a professional background in community safety, behavioral health, human services, housing stabilization, and violence prevention. Throughout Cook's leadership of GVI, the initiative served more than 487 former group and gang-involved individuals and their families. During this time, he also founded Leaders in Transition (LIT), a community organization focused on leadership development, personal transformation, and supporting individuals committed to positive change within their communities.

"John Cook has years of on-the-ground experience serving Wilmington communities through group violence prevention work," said Mayor John Carney. "His leadership and insight will be critical in effectively bringing together community partners and first responders, and in sustaining our whole-city approach to public safety."

Prior to GVI, Cook served the Delaware Division of Social Services for eight years, including five years as Administrator of the Porter State Service Center in Wilmington. He also served as New Castle County's Senior Social Services Administrator, providing program-level oversight across all seven State Service Centers in the county.

"Having worked closely with John Cook through his leadership of the Group Violence Intervention program, I have had the chance to witness firsthand his commitment and passion around preventing violence and uplifting our community," said Chief Wilfredo Campos. "John will be an exceptional Director of Community Safety, and I am happy to welcome him to the City of Wilmington public safety team and look forward to working with him in his new role."

Cook holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Wilmington University and a Master of Education with a clinical concentration in Mental Health Counseling from Springfield College.

"Public safety is built on trust, collaboration, and a shared commitment to our community. I am honored to serve as Wilmington's Director of Community Safety and look forward to working alongside residents, community organizations, first responders, and our government partners to build on the important work already underway," said John Cook. "Together, we can create safer neighborhoods and expand opportunities for every resident."

The establishment of the Office of Community Safety was announced [us.list-manage.com] in February during a recorded conversation [us.list-manage.com] between Mayor Carney and Chief Campos that detailed the City's ongoing public safety approach and progress during the previous calendar year. Funding for the position was included in the City's Fiscal Year 2027 budget [us.list-manage.com].

Cook will officially assume the role on Monday, July 20, 2026.