WILMINGTON, Del. (KYW Newsradio) — The Wilmington-area Division of Motor Vehicles office, where a Delaware state trooper was shot and killed in December, reopened on Tuesday, with new weapons screening systems in place.
The Wilmington DMV on Hessler Boulevard is now equipped with a screening system at the entrance, much like courthouses and sporting venues have. By the end of the week, all four state DMV facilities will be equipped with those systems.
“We’ve also taken measures to separate our entrances and exits, so we have a very controlled entrance into the facility,” said DelDOT Director of Community Relations C.R. McLeod.
On Dec. 23, a 44-year-old man entered the Hessler Boulevard DMV and shot and killed 34-year-old Cpl. Matthew “Ty” Snook, before being killed by law enforcement. The DMV had been closed since then.
“After that incident, we did have a security assessment done by law enforcement, and it was recommended that we do take this step,” said McLeod.
DelDOT also took the last few months to renovate the building. “[We] obviously had repairs to make from the incident. We also used the closure to make some changes and upgrades: painting, new floor, new carpet. We rebuilt our greeter station,” he said.
And prior to Snook’s killing, DMVs in the state were not officially designated gun-free buildings. Now, they’re marked as “sensitive locations” with weapons prohibitions.
For at least a month, the Wilmington DMV will be appointment-only, with no walk-ins accepted. There will still be law enforcement stationed inside all facilities, but private security contractors will be in charge of screening.
McLeod said the new system may bring longer wait times. “It may be a minor inconvenience,” he said, “but for increasing safety for everyone at the facility, we believe it’s a good investment.”