ROWDY TEENS BAD FOR BUSINESS, VA. BEACH MERCHANTS CLAIM

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: MONDAY, February 24, 1992                   TAG: 9202250283
SECTION: NATL/INTL                    PAGE: A-5   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH                                 LENGTH: Short
ROWDY TEENS BAD FOR BUSINESS, VA. BEACH MERCHANTS CLAIM
Merchants and residents say they are worried that the current problems caused by rowdy teen-agers on the oceanfront aren't a good sign of what could be in store in the upcoming months.
"We want this to be a family beach, but all we get is teenagers from other cities down here making this their hangout and causing trouble," said Rick Kowalevitch, owner of RK's Surf Shop.
Oceanfront business people usually play down problems because negative publicity could hurt tourism. But the number of merchants and hotel operators speaking out now shows how unsettling they believe the atmosphere has become.
"The situation we're looking at is that we're becoming a nocturnal playground for all of Hampton Roads - maybe as far away as Richmond - for youth and young adults," hotel owner Henry Richardson told the city Hotel and Motel Association recently.
Police say they are trying to prevent things from getting out of hand by keeping the crowds on the move.
But Police Lt. Raymond Eisenberg said a lack of manpower allows police to only chase trouble "from hot spot to hot spot."
"Generally, the problem starts after 10 p.m.," said Lakewood Civic League president Mick Kauffman. "The biggest problem is the noise and the throwing of beer cans and the ruckus [the crowds] raise."
Eisenberg said there doesn't seem to be any drug dealing by the young people. "Out of the 80 arrests we made in that area the first weekend, we had one for marijuana. I think we see more alcohol-related problems than anything else."

by Bhavesh Jinadra by CNB