Safe & Sound

we want the neighborhood to

care about itself.”

Other cities have used this

model with success, King noted.

“We are looking at a long-

term proposition,” King said.

“We will move to other

neighborhoods in the future.”

As the city shifts into other

neighborhoods, the program

will be altered as needed.

Take a drive through the

area bounded by Riverside

Drive to the south, Third Ave-

nue to the north, Locust Lane

to the west and North Main

Street to the east.

“There are homes well main-

tained, stable and owner-

occupied as much so as any in

the city,” City Manager Joe King

says.

There also are pockets of

blight.

What is most disturbing in

this area, however, is the num-

ber of homicides—14 since

January of 2005.

As a result, the city will try

to stabilize the area through a

multifaceted initiative called Safe

and Sound Neighborhoods.

“This will be more than re-

sponding to calls,” King said.

“We will be trying to be proac-

tive and engage the community.”

In addition to regular police

patrols, a Street Crimes Unit —

with eight officers divided into

two teams — is being created.

However, the program will

involve city departments other

than police. Public Works,

Community Development and

others will use their resources

to improve the neighborhood.

City officials will hold a series

of open houses at various loca-

tions and times (see informa-

tion below) before Nov. 1, the

start of the program.

“We want to hear sugges-

tions and ideas from the com-

munity,” King said. “We care

about this neighborhood, and

City introduces new program

To learn more, join us at the following open houses

CITY OF

DANVILLE

October 2010

A newsletter dedicated to revitalization of Danville’s neighborhoods

Safe & Sound

Neighborhoods INSIDE ...

KEY ELEMENTS

OF PROGRAM:

Safety and security

Property conditions

Streets and spaces

Quality of neighborhood life

Details of each

element, pages 2-3

TARGET AREA:

See map, back page

Officers in the Police Street Crimes Unit will not wear

traditional uniforms.

6-7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 26

RHEMA Cultural

Christian Center

4-5 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 28

Third Avenue

Fire Station

3-4 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 27

Stonewall

Recreation Center

A City of Danville program

North-central area chosen as first target

The Safe & Sound Neighbor-

hoods program recognizes that

physical, security and social

conditions in Danville’s

neighborhoods have a direct

bearing on the community’s

quality of life and its ability to

build a bright future.

Neighborhoods are the

places of everyday life, and

these places matter. Allowing a

neighborhood to decline and

deteriorate harms not only

those who live, work or visit

there, but also harms the entire

Danville community.

Poor conditions in some

neighborhoods in Danville are the

product of complex, deep-rooted

societal and economic problems.

The City recognizes sustain-

ing healthy neighborhoods

demands actions that address

these underlying causes of de-

cline.

Under the direction of the

city manager and with the sup-

port of the city attorney, the

City of Danville will continue

to fulfill its responsibilities to

neighborhoods through coordi-

nated activities of the Police, Fire,

Community Development, Public

Works, Utilities, Parks, Recreation &

Tourism, Human Services, and

Transportation departments.

However, the municipal gov-

ernment cannot accomplish

revitalization of Danville’s

neighborhoods alone. Also

required are the combined

efforts of property owners,

residents and neighborhood

businesses, institutions,

churches and schools.

The Safe & Sound Neighbor-

hoods program is being intro

duced initially in areas of Danville

hardest hit by serious crime.

While Danville’s crime rate over

time has been equivalent to

those of similarly sized cities,

incidents of homicide have been

alarmingly high during recent

years.

A detailed analysis conducted

by the Police Department reveals

that, in many cases, both perpe-

trators and victims are very likely

to be part of a violent criminal

subculture of single, unemployed

young men known to each other

and actively involved in drug and/

or gang-related activities. Even

petty arguments among these

young men quickly explode into

deadly violence.

This criminal subculture

tends to concentrate violent

activities in north- and south-

central Danville neighborhoods.

Consequently, the program will

be launched in the north-

central neighborhood that is

bounded by Riverside on south,

Locust on west, Third Avenue

on north, and North Main and

Worsham streets on the east.

As incidents of homicide are

reduced and stabilized in this

area, the program will be ex-

panded to a south-central

neighborhood. Subsequent ex-

pansions will follow until the

entire city is covered.

Recognizing that the causes

of crime are many, Safe &

Sound Neighborhoods is more

than a crime fighting program.

Working in partnership with

the neighborhood, the City will

deploy a blend of four essential

program elements that is cus-

tomized to meet the needs of

the area. (Read details on

the next page)

More than a program to fight crime

“We want to

hear suggestions

and ideas from

the community.

We care

about this

neighborhood,

and we

want the

neighborhood to

care about

itself.”

City Manager

Joe King

Page 2 Safe & Sound Neighborhoods

Police K-9 teams will be part of the Street

Crimes Unit.

City will deploy

four essential

elements


The physical condition of

buildings and property is im-

portant in sustaining a

neighborhood quality.

Blight drains the life from a

neighborhood and produces

conditions conducive to falling

property values, neglect, crime,

social disorder and despair.

The Community Develop-

ment and Public Works depart-

ments are primarily responsible

for dealing with abandoned and

dilapidated buildings, neglected

properties, accumulation of

debris, and abandoned vehicles.

Municipal departments strive to

keep their facilities in the

neighborhood in good condi-

tion and appearance.

2. Property conditions

3. Streets and spaces maintaining this infrastructure

and property in good operating

and aesthetic condition. It en-

deavors to design and manage

roads and speed limits to maintain

safe traffic flow and reduce nega

tive impacts on residential neighbor-

hoods.

The Utilities Department sup-

ports these efforts in providing

street lighting to minimize the

risk of nighttime crime.

The Parks, Recreation and

Tourism Department is simi-

larly responsible for its facilities

in the neighborhood.

The design and maintenance

of streets, sidewalks, public

rights-of-way and easements

greatly affect the way a

neighborhood functions and

looks.

The City’s Public Works

Department is responsible for

“They (officers

in the Street

Crimes Unit)

will be primarily

out at night

when the

criminals are

out. They will

use unmarked

cars. They will

not wear

uniforms, but

they will be

dressed in

jackets

identifying them

as members of

the Street

Crimes Unit.”

Police Chief

Philip

Broadfoot

Page 3 A newsletter dedicated to revitalization of Danville’s neighborhoods

centers and schools to enrich

the quality of neighborhood

life. The department’s pro-

grams complement those of

The Parks, Recreation and

Tourism Department offers a

variety of programs through

the neighborhood community

neighborhood schools,

churches, non-profit organiza-

tions and neighborhood

groups.

4. Quality of neighborhood life

grams and facilities in the area

are safe and secure.

The Police Department will

deploy a newly constituted

“Street Crimes Unit” in neigh

borhoods that have been plagued

by homicides.

Members will work in plain

clothes on a flexible schedule,

typically including weekend

evenings, and will not have to

respond to normal radio calls

handled by patrol officers.

Working in close coordination

with other units, members of

the Street Crimes Unit will

increase police presence in the

Before any neighborhood can

reach its full potential, it must

be safe from crime and social

disorder.

Working in partnership with

those who visit, live and work

in Danville’s neighborhoods,

the Police Department is pri-

marily responsible for maintain

ing law and order there.

But this cannot be accom

plished without assistance from

prosecutors, courts, the Sher-

iff’s Office, juvenile and adult

detention programs, and pro

bation officers. Other municipal

departments ensure their pro-

neighborhood and serve as a

deterrent to criminal activity of

the subculture responsible for

homicides.

They will actively solicit tips

from the neighborhood and will

pursue street level narcotics

dealers and drug houses, gather

gang information, conduct spe-

cial surveillance operations, and

apprehend weapons and parole

violators.

They will assist other officers

and detectives in conducting

follow-up investigations of seri-

ous criminal offenses.

1. Safety and security


Safe & Sound Neighborhoods Page 4

Documents

Safe & Sound