THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, October 27, 1994 TAG: 9410270703
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ELIZABETH THIEL, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH LENGTH: Long : 102 lines
Police and security guards scoured the grounds of Salem High School on Wednesday, after a tense week in which guns were confiscated from teenagers on three occasions in the school parking lot.
The crackdown at Salem caps a troubled two months for Beach schools, where 10 guns have been found since school opened Sept. 7, compared to 14 for all of last year.
Other area school divisions have reported less activity. No guns have been found in Norfolk or Chesapeake schools this year, although two Chesapeake students were among those caught with guns at Salem High in the past week. No figures were available for Portsmouth or Suffolk schools.
The latest problem in Virginia Beach was Tuesday, when a suspended Salem student claiming to be looking for the principal was found with a loaded assault rifle in the trunk of his car.
Robert G. Hicks, coordinator of student services, said the show of force at the school Wednesday was mostly to reassure students and parents that the building was secure.
Students, however, said they were more worried about their school's reputation than about their day-to-day safety.
``I'm not too concerned about my safety right now, because I know it's just a small percentage of students bringing guns and spoiling things for the rest of us and ruining the school's reputation,'' said Drew J. Moss, 17, a senior.
The stepped-up police and security presence is to continue today, Hicks said.
Officials locally and statewide have been sounding alarms about school crime and violence. A state report released in March showed that while reports of substance abuse have dipped in Virginia schools, more guns are being found.
``You can pass all the laws and the rules and regs you want, but I don't think that young man with an automatic gun and a few drinks really cares what the laws are,'' said Robley S. Jones, president of the Virginia Education Association and chairman of a safety and discipline committee appointed by Gov. George Allen.
To heighten security, superintendents from South Hampton Roads and the Peninsula convened a summit this summer for principals to share ideas.
Allen has made school safety a priority, calling for more money for alternative programs and other measures for children with behavior problems. There has been talk of passing state laws to make parents more accountable for the actions of their children, including hauling them into court.
``I think parents should start monitoring what their kids do, who they spend time with, what they bring home with them,'' said Detective Ike Cashwell, one of the Virginia Beach school system's liaisons with the Police Department. ``They're so eager to shift the blame - `Oh, the school's not doing this. The school's not doing that.' ''
Leo V. Williams Jr., director of pupil personnel services in Norfolk, where the number of guns discovered in schools has declined over the past few years, said he is astounded at how easily kids can get guns. ``Kids tell me they can buy a gun for as little as $25,'' he said. ``They can tell you everything about guns, the types and everything - I'm just amazed by it.''
Cashwell echoed Williams' sentiments.
``To say that the guns (found at Salem) are the only ones there in that parking lot is just wishful thinking,'' he said. ``That's not to say that every kid has a gun. But they certainly have access to them.''
Parents and students generally report feeling uneasy about crime on school grounds.
Still, many defend their schools.
``We feel safe at the school,'' said 15-year-old Melissa Laurie, a sophomore at Salem High. ``We're getting tried in the media.''
``We have so many great academic programs, and we succeed in so many academic things, as well as athletics, but no one seems to notice that,'' said Chris Gaffrey, 16, a junior. ``Everyone notices what's bad, and that's not right.'' MEMO: Staff writers Jon Glass and Vanee Vines contributed to this report.
ILLUSTRATION: Graphics
STEVE STONE/Staff
SCHOOL SAFETY MEASURES
SOURCE: Respective school districts
RECENT GUN ARRESTS AT SALEM, TALLWOOD HIGHS
[For complete graphics, please see microfilm]
KEYWORDS: GUNS HANDGUNS SCHOOLS by CNB