Drugs and violence have long plagued this Claymont community. How a peace walk may help

The group stood quietly in a circle outside Knollwood Community Center, the sun casting its rays through the hazy air.

It was hot this Thursday afternoon, and by the time the nearly three dozen group members concluded introductions, people were already sweating. The air was also thick with smoke from Canadian wildfires, making it uncomfortable to be outside.

But as the group − made up of New Castle County police officers, elected officials, Talley Middle School staff and neighborhood residents − began strolling down Colby Avenue, the unpleasant weather was soon forgotten.

Quickly, the Claymont street, which is often occupied by cars with out-of-state license plates looking to buy drugs, was filled with laughter and chatter. And slowly, more and more neighborhood children began emerging from their homes − first to get ahold of free popsicles, then to walk Nikko, New Castle County police's service dog.

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Though this was the first time the group had come together, just 15 minutes into the peace walk, it was clear the event was a success.

Organized by Talley Middle School reading specialist Jenna DiEleuterio, the hourlong stroll was modeled after weekly peace walks that occur in northeast Wilmington. The goal, DiEleuterio said, is to build relationships and show residents − and especially students − that the greater New Castle County community cares.

In a community that has long struggled with blight, drug use and violence, DiEleuterio said walking the neighborhood in a group is a simple but "powerful way to build relationships." And while she acknowledged that it plays only a small role in tackling Knollwood's struggles, Thursday's event − the first of three scheduled walks − is a start.

A history of blight and hopelessness

For decades, the Claymont neighborhood of about 150 homes, tucked away off Philadelphia Pike with a single road leading in and out, has struggled with drugs and violence.

Once called Worthland, the blue-collar community was built in the 1920s as a settlement for mill workers employed at Worth Steel Co., which later became CitiSteel USA Inc. and then EVRAZ Claymont Steel. By the latter part of the 20th century, fewer and fewer steelworkers inhabited the community and the area increasingly fell into decline.

But while the neighborhood has “always had a bad reputation one way or another,” residents say, those living in Knollwood have repeatedly told Delaware Online/The News Journal it has worsened in the last several years.

KNOLLWOOD BACKGROUND: Shootings, blight and hopelessness: What happened to this once-vibrant Claymont community?

In 2021, five people were shot in two separate shootings that occurred about three months apart. Two people − 27-year-old Nathan Smith and 16-year-old Jasir Brown − were killed in the second shooting, which wounded two others.

While no one was injured by gunfire in 2022 or so far this year, residents say drugs continue to ravage the community.

"I was speaking to the Knollwood Community Center leader and she said, 'These kids can't see another overdose,'" DiEleuterio said. "It's absolutely heartbreaking, but it's a reality for so many of our kids."

Targeting Knollwood

Both New Castle County officials and police, as well as residents, have tried to tackle Knollwood's issues in recent years.

Last spring, New Castle County Executive Matt Meyer announced that the neighborhood would be the first community targeted as part of the county's Building Better Communities program. The grant-based initiative, which is funded using some of the $108 million the county received from the American Rescue Plan Act, aims to increase community engagement in struggling neighborhoods.

So far, the Delaware Coalition Against Gun Violence and the Boys & Girls Club of Delaware have received grants of $40,000 and $25,000, respectively, to target Knollwood.

The Delaware Coalition Against Gun Violence was provided funds to implement a pilot program on gun violence outreach, while the Boys & Girls Club received the money to expand Claymont Boys & Girls Club services to Knollwood.

Energize Delaware has also implemented its Lights On program in the neighborhood, a state initiative that targets high-risk communities in need of better lighting to improve safety and increase energy efficiency.

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Despite these efforts and numerous others, including New Castle County police's Project SEED program, its police and princess ball and the department's other initiatives to curb the community's blight and drug issues, DiEleuterio said her students still feel unsafe.

One day recently, she told the middle schoolers that when they are home in the evenings, they should "get off (their) phones and go outside and play."

The response from one girl who lives in Knollwood, she said, was eye-opening.

"She said to me, 'I'm not allowed to go to the playground; it's too dangerous," DiEleuterio said. "Of course, I was coming from a place of privilege in saying that and I appreciated her giving me a dose of reality."

From that conversation, DiEleuterio said, the idea for Thursday's peace walk was borne.

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While two more walks are scheduled for this summer − on July 20 and Aug. 8 − DiEleuterio hopes they will continue even once students are back in school. By making it a regular event, she said, more stakeholders will hopefully join the effort and perhaps, the community will finally make meaningful change in Knollwood.

"It's not like it's a one-and-done thing where it's, 'we're here to save you' and then go away," she said. "I really want this to be an opportunity to build genuine relationships so the community can come to us and we can go to them."

Got a tip? Send to Isabel Hughes at ihughes@delawareonline.com or 302-324-2785. For all things breaking news, follow her on Twitter at @izzihughes_.

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Knollwood peace walk aims to help community, kids feel safer