Overall summary of life in Danville
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12/9/2010
I've lived in/near Danville my entire life. My family had a small business here. It used to be a very "Mayberry" type of town with children riding their bikes, playing ball, people out walking their dogs, jogging, we had a couple of public swimming pools and lake with a beach (now closed), a nice county fair, a mall where all the kids would meet and eat at one of the shops at the food court (now gone)... Within only the past five or so years it has hit rock bottom. Unfortunately our city fathers made a deal with the city of Chicago when it closed the Cabrini Green slum. They wanted to break up the violent gangs and criminal activity so they were sent to Danville and surrounding towns. It is not safe to leave your house after dark. Violent crime has become the norm. Much of it is not reported in the media. I have friends in law enforcement which was not increased or trained to deal with the new citizens. They have come in swarms and completely taken over the town. Besides nearly all of the manufacturing plants closed and businesses leaving in an evacuation type rate, the local mall is mostly vacant. Because of gang related violence and other crimes children are not safe to go to the movies or shop and are not even allowed at the mall without adult supervision. Law enforcement is grossly understaffed but even when arrests are made, many times the criminals are released before the officer even finishes getting the reports filled out. This town is now called "temporary chicago" where the criminals are sent until they are sentenced, kill each other or overdose. It has become a very depressed and depressing area, unsafe with schools that have become little more than day cares for juvinile delinquents. The teachers have their hands tied because they are not allowed to discipline the kids, the help from home is practically non-existant and making it extremely difficult to teach the kids who do want to learn. The town cannot keep a good doctor. As soon as they get some experience or realize what they have gotten into they leave. Our hospital is just plain frightening. It has become a very sad situation that I think is beyond any hope of salvaging. I no longer live in town and would like to get even farther away if I could afford it.
Gussie | Danville, IL