Full Notification

To the Danville Community,
 
We have received a few questions from residents regarding the presence of Danville Police downtown and additional police resources nearby.  I want to take a moment to just give some information on what was happening.
 
As everyone is aware, a protest over the death of George Floyd had been scheduled for today in downtown Danville. The Police Department received information from various social media sources that the peaceful protest may turn violent, so the organizers chose to cancel their event. 
 
Since the time and date had already gotten online and garnered attention, and because of the looting and rioting occurring throughout the Bay Area, the Danville Police Department chose to exercise caution and stage police resources nearby in the event that a protest did still occur.
 
Danville officers monitored the location to watch for protesters, and additional resources from Danville PD and other agencies staged nearby if the planned peaceful event took a turn for the worse.  Danville Police advised the peaceful protesters that the police protests were their to protect their freedom of speech and make sure the event was safe. 
 
Such was not the case, as around 40 individuals turned out near the intersection of Railroad Avenue and San Ramon Valley Blvd.  The protesters were respectful, did not block streets or crosswalks, and were masked and practicing social distancing.  The additional resources were not deployed and were later released.
 
We are pleased that this event was able to occur without issue, and we are grateful to our law enforcement partners for their willingness to stand by and to those who came out to protest today for showing decorum, kindness and respect while getting their message across. 
 
As there are still concerns about the groups who are going to cities and towns in the Bay Area with the intent of rioting and looting, the Danville Police Department will remain vigilant and continue to operate at a higher staffing level while this threat persists. 
 
Stay safe,
 
Allan Shields
Police Chief
Town of Danville