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

DATE: THURSDAY, September 14, 1995                   TAG: 9509140070
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C-2   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: RICHMOND                                LENGTH: Medium

RICHMOND RECEIVES GRANT TARGETING YOUTH VIOLENCE

President Clinton announced Wednesday that Richmond and nine other cities with youth crime problems will receive the grants.

Richmond police will use the money to continue high-profile patrols by uniformed police officers in high-crime areas and pursuing violent young criminals. The money for the grants was part of the crime bill Congress approved last year.

In the past two weeks, three teen-agers have been charged with murder in Richmond, including a 14-year-old who was charged Tuesday with murder and using a firearm while committing a felony.

``When I came on the force, the big thing among juveniles was skipping school and stealing bikes,'' said Lt. Albert J. Scott Jr., chief of enforcement for the juvenile crime section of the department. ``Now we have kids 13 and 14 charged with weapons offenses and worse.''

Scott, a Richmond police officer for 34 years, said many young criminals may be pushed into breaking the law by adults in the drug trade.

Because children younger than 18 are prosecuted under a juvenile justice system more lenient than the system for adults, many older drug dealers use teen-agers to deal drugs on the streets, Scott said.

Richmond has eight detectives assigned to work on crimes by juveniles. ``We could use 20,'' Scott said.

For 1994, Richmond recorded 160 slayings, ranking the city second per capita among U.S. cities in homicides. Only New Orleans had proportionately more killings.

Police say younger people are committing more crimes.

``We have more kids in crime and kids involved in more serious crimes,'' Scott said, citing the 14-year-old arrested for murder. ``How much more serious can you get?''

Richmond will use the money to intensify patrols in 12 neighborhoods, according to a police department spokeswoman. Officers also will increase patrols in outdoor drug markets and around schools to try to intervene before young people have the chance to use guns.

Baltimore, Birmingham, Ala., Bridgeport, Conn., Cleveland, Inglewood, Calif., Milwaukee, Salinas, Calif., Seattle and San Antonio will also receive the federal grants, Clinton announced.