THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, October 28, 1994 TAG: 9410280646
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A16 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY KAREN E. QUINONES MILLER, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 64 lines
The bait may be tantalizing but will the fish bite?
Gov. George F. Allen's proposal to offer low-cost mortgage loans to law-enforcement officers to move into high-crime areas may appeal to some officers, but many are saying the risk to their families would outweigh the gains in their wallets.
``I would, perhaps, if I were single, but I have a wife and family to think about,'' said Officer W. Amos, of the Norfolk Police Department.
``When you leave for work every morning you want to feel like your family is safe, so you don't have to worry about them,'' said Amos, a 19-year veteran of the force. ``If I moved into a high-crime area, I'd definitely worry about people who might have vendettas against police attacking my family.''
A 14-year Norfolk police officer said: ``I wouldn't move into some of these areas if they offered me a zero interest rate, or even a free house. It's just not worth putting my family at risk.'' He asked not to be named.
In Portsmouth, a police officer who also asked not to be identified, said he would not be interested in the plan. He said he would not want his children living in a high-crime area no matter how good the mortgage deal.
But would other Portsmouth police officers be interested?
``Oh yeah, I'm sure they would,'' he said.
Older officers said they believed that some younger officer might take the governor up on the deal. They are the ones that are just starting out, have lower salaries, and have not yet started their families.
``It probably would interest a lot of new officers who are unmarried and don't have much money. It would probably do them a lot of good. But as for me, I wouldn't do it because I already have a house,'' said Virginia Beach officer A.J. Guay, 28.
A Newport News officer said he did not find the concept attractive - and questioned its worth.
Albert Arnold said he works in the city's East End, a high crime area, and wonders how much the police presence there deters crime. Having more police living in these areas might not work any better, he said.
``I don't think it would be effective, to tell you the truth,'' Arnold said.
Other officers said they would hesitate to move into high-crime areas because they would never feel like they are off-duty.
``Police like their off-time just like everybody else, they don't want people knocking on their doors at 3 or 4 a.m. because there's a shooting outside,'' said a Norfolk police sergeant.
Officer S.W. Bishard, 25, of the Virginia Beach Police Department, said, ``A lot of police officers work eight hours a day and look forward to going home at the end of the shift and may not want to go home to a neighborhood they work in.''
Bishard, however, did not rule out the possibility. ``It depends on what the governor classifies as a high-crime area,'' he said. ``I'd want to research it more and make a conclusion that way, nothing impulsive. I think it is a good program, [but you'd have to be careful about what area it is.''] MEMO: [Staff Writers Mike Mather and Jon Frank contributed to this story.]
KEYWORDS: PROPOSAL POLICE IN RESIDENCE PROGRAM CRIME GOVERNOR GEORGE
ALLEN POLICE OFFICERS HOMES by CNB