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

DATE: SUNDAY, July 23, 1995                   TAG: 9507240079
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C-3   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: MAURICE A. WILLIAMS III STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

GRAFFITI WIPED OUT - FOR NOW

Police presence was increased in the Northwest section of Roanoke on Saturday. But it would have been hard to notice, since officers were out of uniform and painting instead of patrolling.

Officers, along with other city employees, neighborhood groups and Northwest Roanoke residents, joined to paint over graffiti on a neighborhood building.

"We wanted to get different people in the city and different people in the community involved," said Lt. W.D. Jobe. Jobe and other officers in the Community Oriented Police Effort helped repaint the building at 11th Street and Moorman Road.

"It was terrible," Jobe said of the building. "It was in need of some cleaning." He said in addition to vulgarities, the graffiti also spelled out threats to specific police officers.

The COPE team came into the area two months ago and asked residents and business owners about their major concerns. When a consensus showed graffiti was a problem, the cleanup was organized.

"This is a concerted effort, everybody joining in," said Delores Daniels, an assistant to the city manager.

Jobe acknowledged that graffiti may reappear, but said its removal still sends a message to vandals that the police and community are against it.

"We're hoping that they're going to see that it's not something we like," Jobe said. "With all these other people out here they're going to think twice about doing it again."

Bertha Mitchell, a member of the Northwest Neighborhood Environment Organization, said that in addition to the cleanup, she appreciates the officers' presence in the neighborhood. "Things are getting better because the COPE unit is patrolling the street," she said.

Tony Reid works for the Department of Youth and Family Services supervising juvenile offenders. Some juveniles in the department's program for drug dealers helped repaint the building as part of their community service sentence.

A native of Philadelphia, Reid said he had seen much worse graffiti but that the cleanup benefits everyone.

"I think it was an excellent idea," Reid said. "It shows unity within the community."

by CNB