THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, December 3, 1995 TAG: 9512020146
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 06 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: Short : 47 lines
As mayor of Virginia Beach, I would like to recognize the citizens and the employees of the city for the key part they play in making Virginia Beach the safest city our size in the United States. This ranking is based on the Federal Bureau of Investigation Uniform Crime Reports of comparable sized cities (200,000 to 800,000 population) for 1994. This is the eighth consecutive year the city has earned this rank-ing.
Our City Council has placed a high priority on addressing crime in our city. Our Safe Community Team is looking at developing a system to address all the factors that contribute to crime and safety. Poverty, lack of education and the breakdown of family and social institutions are some of the concerns we are working to address.
Chief Charles Wall and his police officers are to be commended for the exceptional job they do in serving and protecting both residents and visitors of our ever-changing city. I'd like to join them in welcoming 32 recent graduates of our Police Academy, many of whom will be assigned to the community-policing program established in targeted neighborhoods where crime presents a real threat to law-abiding citizens.
Also to be commended are those who work with the city's families and young people to provide exemplary role models and instill positive values. Our teachers, social workers and youth-recreation personnel are just a few of the unsung heroes who contribute to this effort.
In Virginia Beach, we are fortunate that our residents enjoy a relatively high standard of living compared to other cities our size. Since high income and low unemployment help to prevent crime, economic-development and tourism-en-hance-ment programs also play a part in this effort to improve our standard of living.
Last, but certainly not least, I would like to extend my appreciation to the citizens of Virginia Beach for their support of the crime-prevention programs that stop crime before it happens and for their assistance to the police department in helping to keep Virginia Beach one of the ``safest cities'' in America.
Meyera E. Oberndorf
Mayor, Virginia Beach by CNB