Finally, the numbers start to fall

The fear of crime has always been more prevalent than its actual occurrence. That’s certainly true in Danville, where the number of violent street crimes — especially murders — spiked during the Great Recession.

The best way to avoid becoming a murder statistic is to avoid contact with criminals, especially people involved with the drug trade and to live a law-abiding life and avoid confrontations with others.

Most people already do that.

But over the past year two years, Danville’s government has worked on those people who don’t follow those simple life rules.

During this year’s Stop the Violence March, the Rev. William Avon Keen blamed an "undercurrent that works against people who come together. That pocket continues to kill." 

"Until we are all on the same page, it won’t stop," Keen said.

Danville’s government responded to the increase in violent street crime by forming the Street Crimes Unit, which worked to bring an intensive law enforcement focus to some of Danville’s most dangerous streets. The Street Crimes Unit also worked in tandem with other city government departments.

We’d like to think that the efforts of Keen and others who advocate the simple thought of "Stop the Violence" has also done its share to remind people of the importance of resolving conflicts peacefully, if not avoiding them altogether.

At the same time, it’s true — like it’s always been true — that some people live their lives in a way that puts them at increased risk of becoming another statistic. No amount of "Stop the Violence" marches — or police officers working in the Street Crimes Unit — will deter them.

For 2011, the number of murders in Danville dropped to eight, one less than the previous two years, and three less than in 2008. That’s good news, but it won’t spark any celebrations. Since 2008, 37 people have been murdered in Danville.

"It’s still two-and-a-half to three times what it should be," Danville Police Chief Philip Broadfoot said of the number of murders in the city. Based on the Danville’s population, Broadfoot estimates that no more than three or four murders here per year would be average.

But Danville certainly is not average.

"If we were an average city, we would have average income, average unemployment, average poverty," Broadfoot said.

Danville, even under the best of circumstances, won’t have average incomes, employment and poverty for a long time.

Between then and now, the efforts of people like Keen, Broadfoot and a small army of concerned citizens, police officers, politicians, city workers and others have done the tough work to meet the rising tide of violent street crime in Danville. The fight’s not over, but 2011 was an encouraging year.