The Danville City Council Public Services Committee has approved plans for a new position within the Danville Police Department. Chief Christopher Yates explained to the committee that the idea of a Danville Police Intelligence Analyst is all about taking the technological data they already have, and being able to use it even more than they do now in the fight against crime.
AUDIO: We’re utilizing all of our resources that we have as far as collecting data; collecting information. A lot of what we do is data driven, intelligence driven policing. This is somebody that coordinates that, puts it together, and makes it readable and usable.
Danville Police Chief Christopher Yates (center) addresses the Danville City Council Public Services Committee on Tuesday evening.
The proposal that was forwarded puts the position in the new budget that takes effect May 1st. The Chief says funds already available within the Police Department will be used to pay for it, and if approved by the full council he intends to have someone ready to go in May.
The agenda item covering the city’s new wage chart, which included mention of the proposed new police position; was passed 5 to 2, with Vice-Mayor Tricia Teague and Alderman Jon Cooper voting “no.”
Meanwhile, a question had recently been passed on to the city about “Is the presence of the new Golden Nugget Casino having any kind of major negative effect on tax revenue the city was already getting from existing video gaming entities?” The data released by City Comptroller Ashlyn Massey seems to show that the answer is “no.” For example, video gaming revenue in the summer months in 2023, shortly after the casino opened, was extremely similar to what came in for June through August in 2022. ($51,000, $50,000, $42,000 for June – August of 2022; $50,000, $50,000, $43,000 in for June-August of 2023.) Mayor Rickey Williams, Jr. says that just shows some people prefer to wager in casino like environments, and some in more calm environments. He compared it to dining preferences.
AUDIO: Some people like the bright, loud experience. And other people want to sit somewhere where it’s quiet and nobody really sees them. And so, I think they’re probably similar to dining in that sense. It’s just all the atmosphere that you prefer. And I’m glad that we have a little bit of everything for whichever preference people have.
As for the Golden Nugget Casino itself, its best month at bringing in tax revenue to the City of Danville was October of 2023, with an amount of $167,000. All of the other months for August through December were in the $150,000 range.
