Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, March 11, 1990 TAG: 9003112803
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: D-6 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: RICHMOND LENGTH: Medium
A document obtained by the Richmond Times-Dispatch said police Chief Charles R. Wall had described the threat to state and city police by saying: "They are coming back next year to burn us out."
Wall told meeting participants his department was buying extra fire extinguishers and that city police would be cross-trained as firefighters.
During an Oct. 30 meeting in which police critiqued their performance during last year's rioting, Wall talked about the threat of fire in 1990, according to a record of the meeting by a state police officer who attended.
Intelligence of such a threat was obtained by Virginia Beach police after Greekfest, a huge, end-of-summer gathering of young people, transformed the city's resort strip into a riot zone last year, the paper reported.
When a fire alarm sounded at a large motel in the violence-torn area last year, fire trucks could not get through the throng to respond. Police finally reached the motel and discovered the alarm was false.
The state police record said that Wall explained at the October meeting why he thought the measures were necessary.
Last year's Greekfest attracted an estimated 100,000 young people, including members of fraternities and sororities from black East Coast colleges. The violence associated with the event caused about $1.4 million in damage. More than 100 businesses were vandalized, looted or both.
Virginia Beach officials are working on plans to make the youths feel more welcome this year with concerts, hospitality tents and other forms of entertainment. One group of black fraternity and sorority leaders suggested Friday that future Labor Day celebrations perhaps should be moved from Virginia Beach.
Wall would not comment Thursday about the report, training or equipment, said police spokesman Lew Thurston.
by CNB