THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, August 13, 1995 TAG: 9508130272
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 07 EDITION: FINAL
LENGTH: Long : 128 lines
In command at the Oceanfront
Recently, several articles have appeared critical of the Virginia Beach Police Department's enforcement action in the city's resort area; namely, that issuing tickets for cruising shows mixed-up priorities. As the 2nd Precinct officer responsible for the enforcement practices this summer and the supervision of the fine men and women enforcing our laws, I feel compelled to comment.
Over 2 million tourists will visit our city this year. The high volume of vehicle and pedestrian traffic experienced on Atlantic and Pacific avenues cause very unique problems. We, the police officers assigned to the 2nd Precinct, have developed a fair, firm but friendly attitude toward enforcement of our laws. We started early in March 1995 trying to educate the public through the news media of our enforcement practices. Our officers have total discretion to handle violators with a warning or with official police action. Many warnings are issued and some violators learn from these encounters; however, others do not.
Between April 15 and June 30, 1995, a total of 5,144 charges and summonses were issued. The geographic boundaries where these violations occurred are the Boardwalk to Arctic Avenue and Rudee Inlet north to 40th Street.
Traffic violations represented 67 percent of the total charges. Generally, the most prevalent violations include cruising, no city decal, improper equipment and no inspection sticker.
Other prevalent violations include unnecessary noise, liquor laws and public drunken-ness.
Thirty felony charges were placed, of which 14 involved narcotics charges; four were weapons violations.
Approximately 48 percent of all misdemeanor charges were for public drunken-ness.
There were 24 non-aggravated assaults.
Approximately 48 percent of the violators were between the ages of 18 and 21, and approximately 75 percent were between the ages of 18 and 25.
Statistics show that for the first 2 1/2 months of the summer season, 40 percent of all violators are from Virginia Beach, 26 percent from other Hampton Roads cities, and 34 percent from outside of the Hampton Roads area.
We know from past experiences that the interaction of pedestrian and vehicle traffic creates a volatile situation. The fact that 67 percent of all charges at the Oceanfront this season are traffic violations supports our belief that traffic congestion is a major contributor to the problems in the resort area. Our goal from the beginning of the season was to address this situation with aggressive enforcement action. Therefore, it is our responsibility to utilize the laws and ordinances available to confront this problem.
Although we are still looking for ways to curb rowdy behavior in the resort area, we feel that our priorities are correctly focused. Thus far, the resort area has enjoyed a significant decrease in assaults and other violent crimes. Many tourists, residents and business owners alike have told us that the resort area is a much calmer environment this year. Although we accept that our efforts will not please everyone, we are committed to providing a firm and consistent enforcement tone for residents and visitors alike.
We in law enforcement would prefer visitors to come to our city and obey our laws, have a good time and carry home fond memories of Virginia Beach. Because of the increase in vehicular traffic on Atlantic and Pacific avenues, we at times must enforce certain unpopular ordinances due to public-safety concerns. I can assure you our responsibility to provide a safe and enjoyable atmosphere for all our visitors is not something we take for granted or lightly. My officers and supervisors are dedicated, well-trained men and women willing to work long hours in extreme heat and oftentimes dangerous situations to create a safe environment for our residents and tourists.
To our critics, I would like to extend a personal invitation to join me on Atlantic Avenue on a Friday or Saturday night to observe firsthand my officers performing their duties - and, at the same time, observe your ``children at play.''
Ernest F. Buzzy Sr.
Commanding Officer, 2nd Police Precinct
Virginia Beach
Social Services Department short on funds, not performance
Editorial Page Editor Beth Barber wrote a column recently (``Improving Services,'' Beacon, July 21) that conveyed the message that Virginia Beach Department of Social Services needs improvement. Did Ms. Barber ever go over to the Social Services building and watch the throngs of people waiting in the waiting room and outside for their turn to be heard? Did she ever see the frustrated employees trying to handle five times the workload that is considered ``normal''? Did she ever hear of some of the Social Services employees going home physically and mentally exhausted?
True, sometimes the judgment may not be 100 percent on target for a very few cases. But will Ms. Barber tell me of any government agency that does everything 100 percent to everyone's satisfaction? The juvenile court system needs a good overhauling, as well as the domestic relations court. They, too, are overworked and do not always issue the perfect answer to a complex situation. Yet they are more the culprits than Social Services and she says nothing to condemn them.
Why blame the hard-working, understaffed and loyal workers of Social Services only? The problem is they need more help in the offices and Director Daniel Stone is doing the best he can in a small, overcrowded ``sick'' building. They need volunteers to give them a little help, they need more employees, they need more money to run the services and they need a new building.
Madeline Nevala
Virginia Beach Theater production turned out to be a real-life drama all its own
The lights are out, the stage is bare, and the cast has gone their separate ways. Even though I had a small part in the production of ``Fiddler on the Roof'' at Larkspur Middle School, Virginia Beach, it was an experience I will never forget.
Bringing people from three different faith backgrounds was a very interesting and rewarding effort. Between Ascension Roman Catholic Church, Beth Chaverim Reform Jewish Congregation and Community United Methodist Church, friendships that built during the rehearsals and shows will last a lifetime. Many, many thanks to all the volunteers who made this first endeavor of ABC Theater Productions a success.
A very special thank you to the audience for the Sunday, June 25, performance. Since lightning knocked out the main power at Larkspur school and we had to use an auxiliary generator, we had no air conditioning, no stage lights, no microphones. The house lights had to stay on since we had no way to turn them off. But did these people complain or leave? No, they were real troupers. They suffered with us until power was restored after several scenes in this uncomfortable situation. Even after power was restored, it took quite a while to get the huge auditorium cooled down.
The cast and crew thank you from the bottom of our hearts!
MaryAnn Bromley
Virginia Beach by CNB