THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, November 21, 1995 TAG: 9511210280
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY LYNN WALTZ AND JON FRANK, STAFF WRITERS
LENGTH: Medium: 90 lines
After 2 1/2 months on the job, a federal task force has identified and targeted about two dozen hard-core criminals who are using violence and intimidation to control Portsmouth's crack cocaine trade.
At the city's request, the FBI's Violence Task Force has moved in to get drug dealers off the street and out of the state court system, which federal and local authorities say has failed to keep them in jail.
Meanwhile, the task force is using the heavy hammer of federal statutes and penalties - including no parole - to send a message that continued violence will not be tolerated.
So far this month, one man has been convicted and another indicted as a result of the work of the task force. A federal grand jury meets again at the end of the month, and more indictments could result.
``The majority of crimes are committed by a small group'' in Portsmouth, said Larry Torrence, special agent in charge of the FBI in Norfolk. ``When we see individuals repeatedly committing violent crimes, if we can eliminate them from the streets, the impact will be lasting.''
Just the knowledge that the feds are coming has slowed criminal activity in the city, Torrence said.
``There is clearly a problem with the state system that does not keep violent offenders off the streets,'' Torrence said. ``It isn't limited to judges, but they're part of the system that allows criminals to return. As they return, it's a downhill slide making it more difficult to solve cases, get cooperation and get people to testify. The revolving-door policy (in Portsmouth) contributes to intimidation of witnesses. And the suspects don't fear the police.''
Chief Circuit Judge Norman Olitsky and two other judges said they could not comment on the situation or any role the judges may play in either the problem or the solution. Federal studies show judges must be involved in any comprehensive plan to address violence and witness intimidation.
The task force began work Aug. 31 after local police and prosecutors asked for help to battle violence and the low clearance and conviction rates in Portsmouth. The task force first looked at existing cases to see if federal statutes applied and then began new investigations.
The task force is made up of two FBI agents, three Portsmouth detectives and one forfeiture officer, an FBI supervisor and a number of FBI support people. Two U.S. attorneys are also working with the task force.
The Portsmouth officers are deputized as U.S. marshals to give them full federal authority. Overtime, office space and support personnel are funded by the FBI, while Portsmouth continues to pay base salaries.
Some federal statutes that can be used to combat crime apply to drive-by shootings, drug conspiracies, firearms violations and drug distribution.
The agreement between local police and the FBI calls for the task force to be in place for one year, but Torrence said he feels confident the program will be extended.
The first two cases to come out of the task force represent the problem of the ``revolving door'' in Portsmouth, where often criminals get locked up only to return immediately to the streets.
An 18-year-old indicted two weeks ago as a result of the task force faces federal narcotics charges: possession with intent to distribute and two charges of use of a firearm during a drug trafficking offense. His name is not being used at the request of federal authorities. He has not been arrested.
Despite at least five serious charges in Portsmouth courts against the man since 1994, none has stuck. Most recently, he was arrested by Porstmouth police in February for drug possession. He was released the next day on a $50,000 bond.
Last week, a federal jury convicted Fred Blount III, the first conviction to result from the task force's efforts. Blount had avoided state charges of attempted capital murder of a police officer after prosecutors violated his right to a speedy trial.
He was released in February, only to be recharged by the task force with disrupting commerce. The Pizza Hut where the shooting took place had to close after the attempted robbery.
Torrence said most of those targeted by the task force are young, some fresh out of the juvenile court system. Some blatantly flout the system, using drive-by shootings to intimidate witnesses and show no fear of police or a system seemingly unable to keep them behind bars.
Swiftly removing the criminal core operating in and around the city's six public housing projects should give immediate relief, Torrence said. He said he expects that the two dozen or so criminals targeted by the task force will be arrested soon.
Violence task forces are in place in about 56 cities in the country. In Virginia, the program is in two cities: Portsmouth and Richmond, both with high crime rates. Portsmouth qualified on the basis of crime statistics and news reports, Torrence said. The program is under the umbrella of the Safe Streets Programs, which has been instituted in 123 cities nationwide.
KEYWORDS: CRIME DRUG ARREST by CNB