Danville Police Chief Christopher Yates says his department has advanced a lot over the past two years. But he adds there is more work to do….
{‘’You know, we’re seeing things continuing trending the way we want to see it. We definitely have to take a step back from time-to-time. We’re really focusing on the initiatives we set forth, well, a little over two years now. And now that we have most of them in place – we have a major one that’s coming up that we’re looking at – now we’re trying to see how we can fine tune them, and apply them properly for the benefit of the community.’’}
Chief Yates was commenting on WDAN Radio’s Newsmakers program with Linda Bolton. The Chief noted there has been a lot of advancement in technology to help fight crime…
{‘’Technology is definitely changing things. It creates an atmosphere where officers have to be much more skilled at multi-tasking. Officers have always had to wear many hats and play many roles – and now there’s even more. And I’m very proud of how our officers have adjusted to that.’’}
Chief Yates feels the city sometimes gets a bad rap in the press…
{AUDIO: ‘’People like to sensationalize the negative things. And they forget about the good things. Look at our numbers. Our numbers – if you look at the raw data – some of them aren’t very impressive and we need to work on that. But I’ve lived in Danville all my life, and maybe that standard is what I’m used to. But it’s a very unique community. That everyday person driving down the street – other than some of the traffic issues – can live a pretty good life.’’}
On the program, Chief Yates noted there is now even more interaction between officers and the community….
{AUDIO: ‘’Officers are getting involved with stuff that maybe only the Chief or the Director used to do in the past. They’re actually going out and doing things. When there’s information that the public wants – you know – whether it’s a neighborhood association – who better to talk about it? And that’s an officer that works 40, 60, 70 hours a week.}
(On July 12, 2021, Chief Yates discussed recent successes for the Danville Police Department with the Danville Noon Rotary Club, including a 40-percent drop in violent crimes and improved morale among officers. The Club’s Sergeant-at-Arms, Dr. Don Rokosch, presents a ‘guest speaker’ mug to the Chief.)
Currently many of the Danville Police officers are young – with five years or less experience. But the process is currently underway to create a new eligibility list, so Chief Yates says they are looking for more good applicants.
Chief Yates advanced through the ranks of the Danville Police Department. He has been a member of the force for twenty-five years
