THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, February 2, 1995 TAG: 9501310086
SECTION: NORFOLK COMPASS PAGE: 03 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY VICKI LEWIS, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 79 lines
TWO INDIVIDUALS WHO are doing their part to prevent crime in Norfolk were honored recently by the Norfolk Neighborhood Crime Prevention Coalition and the City of Norfolk.
Deputy Bob Walsh was named Crime Prevention Volunteer of the Year and Officer Judy Hash was named Police Officer of the Year in Crime Prevention during the coalition's annual dinner on Jan. 10 at the Salvation Army Headquarters on Virginia Beach Boulevard.
Last year's winners were Walter Dickerson and Officer Marty Pineda.
Walsh, 45, a deputy sheriff at the Norfolk City Jail and a retired chief petty officer with 21 years in the Navy, was honored for his work on behalf of children.
Since October, he has presented anti-crime assemblies to more than 7,000 Norfolk school children. Using his ventriloquist dummies Matthew, Jeremiah and Inmate Joe, Walsh teaches children about drug awareness, self-esteem, kindness and handling conflict.
``Working as a jailer, what I see are a lot of people who made bad choices - dropping out of school, stealing, doing drugs,'' Walsh said. ``I thought that there has got to be a way to teach these young people in Norfolk so they don't wind up in here.''
During his presentations, Walsh first gives a serious talk to the students, follows the talk with skits or conversations with his dummies, then conducts question-and-answer periods.
Walsh's wife, Joy, has illustrated a coloring book titled ``Choices,'' which he gives away after his presentations.
``The dummies are a real good tool,'' he said. ``They capture the children's attention. They really get across to the kids and give them a message.''
Walsh became interested in ventriloquism as an 8-year-old watching Paul Winchell and Jerry Mahoney TV shows on Saturdays. He said the shows always carried a positive message.
``I hope I can do for them,'' he said, referring to the students, ``what Paul Winchell did for me.''
Walsh didn't pursue ventriloquism until he was in his mid-20s while serving in the Navy. Matthew was Walsh's first dummy.
During the January ceremony, Walsh was honored as ``a man who has a special talent, and he has used it to make Norfolk a better, safer, healthier place.''
Both of the honorees were nominated by people in the community. In one letter of nomination, the following was said about Judy Hash, the Police Officer of the Year in Crime Prevention:
``Whether it is conducting a survey, helping in activities for a recreation center, coordinating activities that clean up a neighborhood, taking pictures of rundown properties and getting the owner's cooperation, leading meetings, conducting presentations or using computer skills to enhance written presentations, this officer can always be relied upon to lead the way.''
Hash, a community policing officer with the PACE program, has been a Norfolk police officer since February 1989. A Mathews County native, Hash took over her current duties in November 1993. As a community policing officer, it is her job to work with citizens and city services, and to build partnerships in the community.
Hash works in the Gold Sector of the 2nd Patrol, which includes about 30 neighborhoods in the center of the city, including Lafayette, Ballentine, Talbot Park, Suburban Park and Foxhall.
Hash, 33, lives in Hampton with her husband Wayne, who is a community policing officer for the Hampton police force.
The thing she likes most about her job, Hash said, ``is seeing the community take control and take back their neighborhoods, coming out of doors and becoming neighbors again.'' ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by RICHARD L. DUNSTON
Robert Walsh, a deputy sheriff at the Norfolk City Jail, is
surrounded by his pals, from left, Matthew, Inmate Joe and
Jeremiah.
Officer Judy Hash
by CNB