THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, January 21, 1996 TAG: 9601210052
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JON FRANK, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: PORTSMOUTH LENGTH: Long : 102 lines
The police chief called the people assembled Saturday at Hunt-Mapp Middle School the most diverse crowd he had seen in Portsmouth during the past 20 years.
They were black and white, male and female, young and old, rich and poor.
But most encouraging for the organizers of the Portsmouth Crime Summit, the people were numerous - more than 400 attended - and filled with ideas about how to fight crime in a city in crisis.
They suggested a wide range of improvements for the city with the region's highest violent crime rate: more money for police; a children's crime line to encourage positive interaction between youth and law enforcement; support for programs like Neighborhood Watch, DARE and community policing; and a return to the concept of reform schools for troubled youth.
One theme, though, was voiced again and again: The people of Portsmouth are fed up with the city's courts, where, they said, judges refuse to keep criminals with long histories of violence locked up in jail.
``If the police arrest somebody, we want them off the streets,'' said Charles Hudgins, a Portsmouth resident who participated in the conference as a group leader.
``If an individual does not show up for court, he should not get any bond and should not be released from jail,'' another participant said.
One group of participants was so incensed that it suggested a citizen oversight committee to serve as a watchdog for Portsmouth courtrooms where, they believe, miscarriages of justice occur daily.
It's an opinion held by more than just Portsmouth residents. An FBI task force on violent crimes was formed late last summer to help Portsmouth police get the most violent offenders off city streets and into the federal criminal justice system, where bonds are rare and parole is prohibited.
The task force was necessary,
FBI officials said, because the state courts in Portsmouth had turned into ``a revolving door,'' where criminals were arrested, only to be granted bond by judges and released.
Under this system, violent offenders can almost immediately return to the streets from which police had just removed them.
They can intimidate witnesses, preventing police from building cases that the Commonwealth's Attorney's Office could successfully prosecute.
The problem reached a crisis in 1995.
The city set a record for homicides, with 37. Overall, crimes against persons increased by 10 percent, according to Martin Bullock, Portsmouth commonwealth's attorney.
Del. Billy Moore, who addressed Saturday's crime summit, announced a legislative package this week to reform the state system to help police and prosecutors.
Moore's package would eliminate bonds for drug kingpins, drug pushers arrested near schools, and suspects believed to be involved in gang murders, kidnappings or abduction felonies.
``I think all of us here agree that we are tired of the increase in murder, violent crime and drug trafficking in our city,'' Moore told the group Saturday. ``For too long we have suffered at the hands of thugs who threaten us and rob us of our self-respect and pride that we have in our city.''
After Moore's comments, and speeches by Bullock, Chief of Police Dennis A. Mook and several others, the participants broke up into 15 groups to brainstorm ideas aimed at making Portsmouth safer.
``People in the neighborhoods need to say we aren't going to take it anymore,'' said the Rev. Elisha Jones of the West End United Methodist Church. ``We need to report everything that goes on to the police. We can't expect others to do it for us.''
Another participant, William Stefurak, said that communicating with a generation of young people who have little respect for the law and poor home environments is the challenge and the key.
``We've got to bridge the gap and tell the kids that what they are doing is wrong,'' Stefurak said. ``Until we do that, things will just keep getting worse.''
After the brainstorming, participants shared their ideas while eating a dinner donated by area pizza and chicken restaurants. The next step will be to prepare a report and action plan.
Although Saturday's summit was only a first step, organizers were optimistic.
``If this means the community is involved, then I know the city of Portsmouth is in good hands,'' said Bernard Griffin, a member of the Portsmouth City Council.
``I just hope everybody leaves with some kind of personal commitment, like resolving to join a neighborhood watch or pledging to work with the city's youth,' said Anne Lyons, a summit organizer. ``I just hope that personal responsibility sets in.'' ILLUSTRATION: Color photo
MOTOYA NAKAMURA/The Virginian-Pilot
Police Chief Dennis A. Mook: ``We've got business leaders here. . .
. Lower-middle class. Black and white.''
Photo
MOTOYA NAKAMURA/The Virginian-Pilot
At Saturday's crime summit, Candice LeDoyen, center, a group leader,
explains the brainstorming process to members of the group. Darnell
Johnson, far left, the group's other organizer, welcomes Shawn
Warren, another participant.
by CNB