DANVILLE, Va, – One step at a time, Danville Police continue to build relationships with their community by hosting engagement neighborhood walks.
On Monday, they were in the Westmoreland Neighborhood in remembrance of a community activist who unexpectedly passed away last year.
Chief Scott Booth determined that their September community engagement walks will be in honor of Norma Brower, a New Jersey native who made Danville her home and considered service her top priority.
“I guess she saw something in the community that she liked,” said her longtime friend Bill Wilson.
Brower served on the fair housing board, as Vice President of the local NAACP chapter, and was among the first few calling on Danville Police to do more – to show up in their neighborhoods. Danville Police answered that call.
She was a modest woman, Wilson said of Brower: “She was the type of person where it would mean a lot to her, but she wouldn’t be very like, ‘Hey! They’re doing this for me!’”
Brower was dedicated to the Westmoreland community but expanded her service across the city.
“This was one of the first neighborhoods when Chief Booth came here that he actually came through. There had been a crime situation down the street, and we met him right there,” said Westmoreland Neighborhood Organization President Clyde McCoy.
“Our crime numbers have dropped 50% since 2018 when Chief Booth got here,” explained Community Relations Liaison Ashtyn Foddrell. “We are continuing to try and keep those numbers low and build positive relationships.”
Each month Danville PD walks through a different neighborhood, but they want everyone to come – no matter the location.
The goal is to have everyone looking out for each other.
For more information on future walks, click here.