THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, May 14, 1995 TAG: 9505120254
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 04 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JAMES FRASCA, CORRESPONDENT
LENGTH: Long : 106 lines
Barbara Ann Harper knows firsthand what substance abuse can do to a family.
Her son recently finished serving an eight-year prison term, a result of his involvement with drugs.
And when her daughter went to jail on drug-related charges in 1991, she was left alone to care for her four grandchildren. Harper offers no excuses for her daughter's involvement with drugs, explaining, ``When you break the law, you've got to pay the consequences.''
While incarcerated, Harper's daughter escaped from jail. Her new found freedom, however, was cut short when Harper turned in her daughter.
``She called me from New York and so I called the FBI, the governor's office and the State Police,'' Harper said. ``It was my duty to do that. I turned her in, yes, I did.''
Harper feels no bitterness toward the officers who arrested her children. On the contrary, she turned to them for help after becoming convinced that she could make a difference in her community.
Faced with the unexpected business of raising her daughter's children, Harper took a stand and became a dependable ally to the cop on the beat.
And every drug dealer's worst nightmare.
``The dealers call me a snitch,'' Harper said. ``But I'm not telling the police anything they don't already know. Drug dealers are going to end up in jail anyway, so better sooner than later. It's just like damage control.''
Harper noticed that the children in her neighborhood near Oceana Naval Air Station were getting involved with drugs at an early age, surrendering to peer pressure and forsaking their educations for life on the street and eventually, she believes, jail. She decided to fight the drug problem on her own turf, a problem she describes as ``a plague that whips through all of our families like a dark tornado.''
``I didn't always have respect for police officers,'' Harper explained. ``They got involved in my life and I got involved in the community. I saw the love and concern they had for my grandchildren. I felt myself getting closer to them and finally I said, `You can count on me.' Let's face it, our kids are in danger and the officers are out there to do a very serious job.
``I knew right away what my work would be,'' said the 38-year-old Virginia Beach resident. ``Caring for children whose parents are where my daughter is.''
So Harper took to the pavement, delivering homemade sweet potato pies and a message of love to the children of the street. She touches the lives of youngsters left to fend for themselves, offering hope and nutrition in place of drugs and violence.
According to Harper, it is the children who are most at risk. She believes that parents and friends with casual attitudes toward drugs belie the fact that ``Drugs wait for these kids like a hungry wolf at the door.''
Voicing her concerns to politicians and community leaders, Harper found a growing need for her services as a volunteer. She provides transportation for substance abusers seeking treatment, chaperones trips for local youth groups such as the Police Athletic League (PAL), helps organize sports competitions at elementary schools and serves as a member of the Seatack Elementary School PTA. Harper claims to be well compensated for the time she donates to her community.
``Sure, it's volunteer work,'' Harper said. ``But I get paid from God.''
Officer Wayne Plympton of the Virginia Beach Police Department administers the PAL program in several ``at-risk'' neighborhoods, focusing on children ages 6 to 12.
``Mrs. Harper introduced a lot of kids to us through the PAL program,'' Plympton said. ``We try and promote a positive image of the police, set up codes of acceptable conduct and keep them off the streets.''
Plympton describes Harper as ``a very active member of the community who's doing a great job raising kids.''
He adds that Harper's grandchildren - Emmanuel, 11; Jose, 10; Sanchesca, 7; and Nieka, 6 - are all ``academically gifted and good athletes, she's been blessed with that. She raises them in a very wholesome environment, and the kids themselves are blessed with that.''
A frequent caller to Hampton Roads talk radio programs, Harper often takes to the airwaves in her grass-roots campaign to eliminate drugs from the playground. She believes that children who respect police officers are less likely to break the law, so Harper sees to it that the officers patrolling her neighborhood know every youngster by name. She also sees to it that elected officials at every level of government know her by name.
``Oh, they all know me,'' Harper said. ``I always make it a point to introduce myself to politicians. I write to the mayor, the governor, even the president.'' She proudly displays correspondence from the Oval Office, words of encouragement and gratitude signed by President Clinton.
``There's a big transition on the streets right now,'' Harper said. ``I see the kids shaking their heads at the dealers, telling them `No way.' A whole lot more can be done if community members become involved with their local police.''
Harper plans to take several police officers, including Plympton, out to breakfast at Denny's this week. She'll pay for the meal out of her own pocket, calling the gesture, ``the very least that I can do for them.''
``I guess the next thing I'll have to do is run for City Council in 1996,'' she said. ``I've got some good ideas and I'd like to see them put to use.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo
``The dealers call me a snitch,'' says Barbara Ann Harper. ``But I'm
not telling the police anything they don't already know. Drug
dealers are going to end up in jail anyway, so better sooner than
later. It's just like damage control.''
KEYWORDS: DRUG ARREST by CNB