THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, October 21, 1995 TAG: 9510210277
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY LARRY W. BROWN, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 79 lines
Kids in Diggs Town once called Officer Richard James ``Pac Man'' because he was such a fast runner and could chase down bad guys like the video game character.
That was eight years ago. But recently, when James returned to the public housing community to set up a mini-station in a vacated apartment, someone remembered his former nickname and yelled ``Hey, Pac Man.''
James, 31, is one of eight Norfolk police officers and two supervisors who recently volunteered to permanently patrol the city's public housing communities on foot and bicycle.
``I know a lot of the people in the neighborhood and the youngsters . . . either from victims I've helped out before or former suspects that are back out,'' James said Friday. ``In most cases, I'm pleased to see they remember me.''
Norfolk police have long grappled with crime in public housing. Although less than 5 percent of the city's population lives in public housing, 8 percent of the city's violent crimes occurred in those neighborhoods in 1994.
But in Diggs Town, with a population of 1,366, crime dropped 17 percent from 1993 to 1994, the result, in part, of changes in lighting, landscaping, roadways and fencing.
James is one of the first officers to begin the new program. Police hope the others will be in place by Nov. 6.
Each officer in the Public Housing Community Resource Officer Program has agreed to take on the duty for two years. The officers will be responsible for initiating strategies to improve the neighborhoods. They will be supervised by a sergeant and a corporal.
``I see a need for someone in these particular areas to build, number one, a better relationship with residents,'' James said. ``We are working with the communities to help them make the community a better place.''
Lt. Wally Driskell and Capt. Gregory Banks helped develop the program.
``The great thing is it truly encompasses the philosophy of community policing,'' Driskell said. ``Through that extended contact with the community, the officer has the opportunity to deal with the problem more closely. The officer has the opportunity to develop a close working relationship with residents.''
These officers will be able to gain the trust of the community by being permanently assigned there, Driskell said.
James, a Norfolk native, said he already has seen familiar faces - former victims and suspects.
``I'll be able to know the people in the community and know some of the troublemakers, too,'' said James, a 10-year-veteran of Norfolk's force.
The eight officers have received profiles of their assigned communities, including each area's specific problems. They also are being trained in organized gangs, crime prevention in public housing as well as all of the Police Action Community Enforcement programs.
By Friday, James did not yet have some of his office supplies, but he had outlined plans for improving Diggs Town.
``I've learned that a lot of the people causing trouble are not residents out there,'' he said. ``That's going to be one way to attack one of the problems.''
Another problem, James said, is that some residents are afraid to talk to police about crime because they fear retaliation.
To counteract this, James plans to install a drop box so that Diggs Town residents can anonymously report crimes or other problems.
``I will personally see if the efforts will succeed or not,'' he said. ``With me I think it's a good challenge.'' ILLUSTRATION: Color photo
Richard James
Color map
KEYWORDS: PUBLIC HOUSING CRIME NORFOLK POLICE DEPARTMENT FOOT
PATROL by CNB