By Jose Lopez

Guest columnist

I'd like to start off 2010 by sharing some good news with the community about Durham's crime statistics. Property and violent crime showed a decline in Durham during 2009, according to preliminary figures. The numbers may change slightly when the final statistics are tabulated but the overall trends should not be affected.

Property crime (burglary, larceny and motor vehicle theft) dropped 1 percent in 2009 compared to 2008 and violent crime (murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault) was down by 10 percent in 2009. Overall index crime, which is the total of property and violent crime, dropped by 2 percent.

The crime rate, the number of crimes per 100,000 residents, has dropped significantly since 2000. The violent crime rate has dropped by approximately 26 percent and the property crime rate is down by more than 30 percent.

I think these crime decreases are the result of several factors -- hard work by Durham police officers and civilian employees, our strong relationship with the community and our partnerships with state, local and federal law enforcement agencies. I can't emphasize enough how crucial it is for the community to work with us to fight crime. You are a source of information as well as support.

The community support was obvious in the 2009 annual survey by the Durham Convention and Visitors Bureau, which indicated, by a margin of almost 4 to 1, that residents feel that the Durham Police Department is working closely with the community. Also, more than 61 percent, the highest percentage since polling began in 2005, think that the Durham Police Department is doing a good job of protecting and serving our residents.

During 2009 we expanded several of our community-based initiatives and programs. One of the most noteworthy, our N.C. Child Response Initiative, a joint collaboration with the N.C. Center for Child and Family Health, works to improve mental health and law enforcement response to children directly affected by crime and violence. The program, which expanded to all five police districts in 2009, was named one of the 25 finalists for the Webber-Seavey Award for Quality in Law Enforcement, which is awarded by the International Association of Chiefs of Police. They launched a Web site in 2009 -- www.nccri.org -- to provide information to law enforcement officers and residents about dealing with child trauma.

I am very pleased to report that Durham once again had a strong showing in the National Night Out program, which was held in neighborhoods throughout Durham on Aug. 4, 2009. Thousands of Durham residents gathered to get to know their neighbors, interact with police officers and send a message that crime will not be tolerated. The Durham Police Department was ranked ninth nationwide among hundreds of similar-sized cities that observed America's Night Out Against Crime.

Our Citizens on Patrol (COP) program also expanded in 2009 and we now have active COP programs in Districts 1, 2 and 4 and are working on getting a program started in District 3. This volunteer program gives citizens an opportunity to actively assist the Police Department in fighting crime and enhancing quality of life in our community.

We also added three new, much-needed substations in Districts 1, 3 and 5 during 2009. These substations are larger and better equipped, providing more facilities for community events and meetings. Improved facilities continue to be one of our primary goals.

During 2010, we hope to continue to reduce crime, especially violent crime. Our Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) coordinator, Jennifer Snyder, is in the process of launching the "Safety in Numbers: Can We Count You In?" initiative, a campaign to mobilize our community against gun violence.

I strongly believe that we can't reduce crime without addressing the social issues that cause people to commit crimes. One of the main areas where we can make a difference is by working with juveniles and providing them with positive alternatives to gangs and crime. We are working on forming a Police Athletic League (PAL) to provide youth with positive recreational and athletic activities and to strengthen the trust and understanding between the police department and the community. We are also expanding our Police Explorers program, which provides youth from 14 to 20 years old an opportunity to learn about the law enforcement profession.

I am excited about the department's plans for 2010 and I look forward to working with the community to keep Durham a safe place to work, play and live.

Jose Lopez is Durham's chief of police.