City continues work to improve public safety

Sep. 28—International superstar and former Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger once said, "Government's first duty and highest obligation is public safety." In Danville, we couldn't agree more, and that's why we've dedicated so many resources to our Police Department over the past few years. Today, I want to focus on the steps we've taken to ensure their success and the improved safety it has yielded.

To achieve these objectives, we had to put the proper organizational structure in place, get the right people in the right positions, and provide our police with the support and resources they need to do their jobs. We started by eliminating the Director of Public Safety position and reinstating police and fire chiefs. Hiring Chris Yates as our Police Chief is one of the best decisions I've made. He immediately went to work with his team, putting together a 5-year plan to help curb the violence that was plaguing our community. Here are some of the steps we've taken:

—Hired 16 additional officers, moving the force from 54 officers to 70.

—Reinstated the POP (Problem-Oriented Policing) Unit and created the Community Housing Unit. Once our final four officers finish training, we'll add a Street Crimes Unit.

—Added six full-time Civilian positions to better support the department's efforts, including a Crime Data Analyst who has continued advancing our data and intelligence-driven policing.

—Replaced all but one police vehicle and added more.

—Purchased body and new car cameras for police to ensure the protection of both our citizens and our officers.

—Installed FLOCK camera systems (license plate readers), which have been critical in several investigations ranging from simple traffic accidents to homicides.

—Created the Security Camera Registration app, which allows citizens to voluntarily register the security cameras at their homes/businesses. The police investigators can then contact the camera owners if any incidents occur in the area.

—With the help of the late Senator Bennett, opened a new state-of-the-art Training Center with a top-of-the-line virtual reality simulator that allows our officers to train real-life scenarios. We also host training opportunities for other departments and community events. Our officers complete approximately 25% more than required by state and federal law.

—With the help of Senator Bennett, sponsors, and a host of volunteers, they completely rehabilitated Friendly Town and served more than quadruple the number of children.

—Strengthened our community relationships by policing with the community, which increases mutual trust.

All of these efforts, combined with citizens' willingness to "see something and say something," have greatly improved public safety in our community! From 2018-2023, our officers have made over 550 drug arrests and gotten over 550 guns off of the street. Shots-fired calls have decreased by 70.3%, and overall crime has decreased by 24.3%. Violent Crimes are down by a total of 61.5%, including Criminal Homicides by 58.3%, Rape by 54.7%, Robbery by 65%, and Aggravated Assault and Battery by 61.6%. Gun homicides have gone from 11 to 1 (a 90.1% decrease). Property Crimes are down by a total of 11.3%, including Theft by 5.4%, Burglary by 30.1%, and Arson by 46.7%.

Unfortunately, crime has increased in one category. Domestic violence has gone up by 13.4% over the past several years. To combat this most devastating problem, we started a domestic violence initiative between non-profits and patrol and created a domestic violence detective position to better assist victims and support the prosecution of perpetrators.

As you can see, with one exception, crime, especially violent crime, has gone down substantially in Danville over the past five years. Many of the online s calling us one of the most dangerous places in the country are patently false. For example, one stated that we had 18 homicides in one year when, in fact, the most we've ever had is 12. I strongly encourage you to do some fact-checking before you share such s because inaccurate information is a slap in the face to all of the hard work our officers do every day. Former U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno once said, "We, the American people, owe the nation's police officers our deepest gratitude, our best efforts, and our strong support, for they have done so much for us against such great odds." I couldn't agree more, and the way you support the DPD and our officers demonstrates that you feel the same. Thank you!

While we're not yet where we want to be, by drastically improving public safety, we're making Danville an even better place to live, work, invest, and play every day!