Danville PD using proactive policing to seized illegal guns

DANVILLE, Ill. (WAND) - This weekend, the Danville Police Department arrested three people in three days for illegal gun possession. So far this year, the department has seized 28 guns. That is in comparison to 89 guns in 2024. Deputy Chief Terry McCord said this is a trend they don't want to see increase.

"We're definitely above average this year with our firearm arrests the first months of this year," said McCord. "This has been a focus for our special units, out proactive units, our problem oriented policing unit and our community housing unit. "

McCord said illegal firearm possession is the foundation for most major calls for service that the department has to respond to. This causes a concern for not just officers responding to the calls, but also the community as a whole.

The department is focused on proactive policing, and preventing violence before it occurs. This is possible through technological advances and a responsive community.

"For us to be able to prevent crime from happening the best of our ability with the cooperation of the community is huge," said McCord. "We have a phrase that I think probably a lot of communities use, see something say something. I can tell you, from a investigative standpoint, in order to solve crimes, we have to have the community support and cooperation. It's so important for them to to speak out."

McCord said often when they track down someone with an illegal gun, there are other charges involved as well. It has become easier for them to track down these illegal weapons because they have been able to increase their work force as well.