Wilmington Mayor Mike Purzycki today named 26-year Wilmington Police Department (WPD) veteran, Captain Wilfredo Campos, as the City’s next Police Chief. He will become the 33rd Police Chief in the City’s history and the first person of Hispanic descent to be named Chief.
The new Chief, who was raised on the City’s West Side, has served in a variety of positions on the City police force during his extensive law enforcement career, including the Uniform Services Division, Community Policing Division, Criminal Investigation Division, and the Human Resources Division. He was also a WPD Detective assigned to a Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms Task Force and has served with the United States Army Reserve. Chief Campos is also active with community organizations, including serving as a Board Member of West Side Family Healthcare and Los Jardines Senior Housing.
Chief Campos is 50-years old. He graduated in 1996 from the 84th Wilmington Police Academy, is a graduate of Thomas McKean High School, and holds a bachelor’s degree from Wilmington University. Chief Campos is also a graduate of the Senior Management Institute of Policing sponsored by the nationally renowned Police Executive Research Forum (PERF) and is a Polygraph Examiner Professional graduate of the Academy for Scientific Investigative Training in Philadelphia.
“I am extremely pleased to appoint Wilfredo Campos as Wilmington’s new Chief of Police,” said Mayor Purzycki. “His vast experience and leadership skills, as well as his decades-long knowledge and understanding of City neighborhoods and his interactions with City residents will serve him well as he takes command of an outstanding police department. Each day, the men and woman of the WPD demonstrate their commitment to public safety and the importance of serving the public with courage and integrity. I could not be happier for Chief Campos, his family and his many supporters throughout Wilmington who have encouraged him throughout his career.”
Video of the Mayor’s announcement here.
Chief Campos today thanked the Mayor for naming him Police Chief and expressed gratitude to his immediate family, which includes his wife Diana, his children Kiara and Wilfredo, Jr., and their dog, Gracie, for their support in helping him achieve the position of Chief of Police.
“It is truly a blessing and an honor to have the opportunity to continue serving the residents of Wilmington in this new role as Police Chief and to be able to lead our brave and dedicated police officers and civilians that make up the Wilmington Department of Police family,” said Chief Campos. “I thank my entire family, our many friends, current and former police officers, and all of the people who have provided support and guidance to me throughout the years to make this day possible.”
Chief Campos today promoted two fellow officers—Captain Anthony Bowers and Captain Matthew Hall—to the rank of Inspector. They will be part of the Chief’s immediate support and management team.
Inspector Matthew Hall joined the Wilmington Police Department on November 4, 1996, and his past assignments include positions with the Criminal Investigations Division and the Uniformed Services Division. He was promoted to the rank of Captain in 2019 and has since been assigned as the commanding officer of the Special Operations Division. In addition to overseeing School Resource Officers, the Downtown/Riverfront Unit and the Canine Unit, Captain Hall took a leading role in coordinating with partner law enforcement agencies and the United States Secret Service during Democratic National Convention and Election Night programming with candidate and later President-Elect Biden during his time spent in Wilmington leading up to the start of his presidency.
Inspector Anthony Bowers joined the Wilmington Police Department on June 14, 1999, and his past assignments include positions with the United States Marshals Task Force and the Office of Professional Standards. He was promoted to the rank of Captain in 2018 and has spent time as the Sector 2 Captain. He has most recently served as the commanding officer of the Human Resources Division, a role that has included overseeing the department’s recruitment efforts. These have been successful in increasing the diversity of our department through the past several academy classes, including our most recent class, which was comprised of nearly 85% minority recruits. Captain Bowers is a recent graduate of the Senior Management Institute for Police.
Chief Campos’ salary will be $200,000 annually, and he will begin his new duties as Chief of the Wilmington Police Department immediately.
Wilmington City Council President Trippi Congo today expressed his support for the selection of Chief Campos. “I want to thank Mayor Purzycki for reaching out to me during this transition period for the police department and seeking my thoughts on the department as a whole,” said the Council President. “The Mayor made a good decision in appointing Chief Campos. City Council looks forward to collaborating with the new WPD police administration. We wish the new leadership well.”
