Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, October 7, 1995 TAG: 9510090049
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: RICHMOND LENGTH: Medium
The Governor's Summit on Crime, set for Thursday and Friday at the Richmond Hyatt, also will mark the first anniversary of Allen's signing of laws that ended parole and lengthened sentences for violent crimes.
``While we have accomplished a lot in the last 18 months, there is still much work that needs to be done to keep violent criminals out of our homes and neighborhoods and to make Virginia safe again,'' Allen said.
U.S. Rep. Bill McCollum, R-Florida, will give the keynote address Thursday. McCollum is chairman of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime.
Topics for the summit include parole abolition, juvenile crime, crime prevention, community policing, anti-drug strategies, school safety and law enforcement technology.
Cracking down on crime has been a major initiative of the Republican governor, whose aggressive and costly prison-building program has drawn criticism from many Democrats.
``We hope there's an emphasis at this conference on prevention - working with young people before they get into trouble, so Virginia's crime strategy doesn't center solely on building prisons,'' said Page Boinest, spokeswoman for Democratic Lt. Gov. Don Beyer.
The summit will be conducted less than a month before the Nov. 7 General Assembly elections, which Allen hopes will yield a Republican majority supportive of his conservative agenda.
``We hope they're ... not holding a two-day partisan event four weeks before the election,'' Boinest said.
``It's far from that,'' said Allen spokesman Ken Stroupe. ``We have a long way to go in the effort to reduce violent crime. The one thing Democrats have experience at is running from the crime issue. So it's not surprising they would criticize.''
by CNB