Following a nationwide search, Cecilia E. Ashe of Wilmington Delaware was sworn in as the City of Milford’s Chief of Police on Monday. She was sworn in by Noel Eason Primos, Delaware Superior Court Judge.
Chief Ashe spent the past seventeen years with the Wilmington Police Department where she was assigned the Inspector of Operations by then Wilmington Police Chief Robert Tracey. She has a combined twenty-seven-plus years of law enforcement experience, which includes time spent as a police officer in Arlington County, Virginia.
She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice and is currently working on her Master’s in Administration of Criminal Justice and Organizational Leadership, both with Wilmington University. She is a graduate of the Police Executive Research Forum Senior Management Institute for Policing Session 70.
Having advanced through various leadership roles, Chief Ashe gained extensive knowledge and experience of collective bargaining and labor contracts from both sides of the table.
She oversaw a budget of over $65 million while at Wilmington Police Department. She was recognized on multiple occasions for her ability to apply business principles, along with common sense strategies, to the department’s budget, that ended in an impressive cost savings of millions of dollars for the first time in over ten years. In addition, her relationships at the state and federal levels were instrumental in the successful acquisition of approximately $8 million in grant funding to Wilmington Police Department.
Chief Ashe was most recently recognized by the National Institute of Justice for her leadership, oversight, and strategic planning while implementing Group Violence Intervention. She led enforcement actions on group/gang-involved violence, requiring collaboration with local, state, and federal law enforcement, as well as coordination with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and State of Delaware lead prosecutors. This resulted in the successful arrest and prosecution of several violent gang members within the City of Wilmington. By the end of 2022, she was instrumental in a 58% reduction in homicides and nearly 30% reduction in shooting incidents, thus demonstrating a record of success in developing effective relationships at all levels of the organization. This outcome simultaneously increased homicide clearance rates from 12% to over 67% and reduced citizen complaints against police officers by 22%.
Source: City of Milford