THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, January 26, 1997 TAG: 9701260057
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A1 EDITION: FINAL
SERIES: Turning It Around: Portsmouth
SOURCE: Story by staff writers Angelita Plemmer, Janie Bryant,
Battinto Batts Jr. and Naomi Aoki
DATELINE: PORTSMOUTH LENGTH: 152 lines
The city's rate of violent crime plunged 29 percent in 1996, the first time in 13 years it has not risen.
The numbers were welcome news to a city struggling to overcome a years-old image problem, rooted largely in a high violent crime rate.
And though one year does not make a trend, city officials, and the residents who live here, hope that one of the nation's most crime-plagued cities is on the road toward shedding that image.
The steep drop coincided with several initiatives, including toughened crime-prevention efforts by the police department, speedier trials by the commonwealth's attorney's office, the first citywide citizens crime summit, and prosecution of drug criminals by a federal task force.
``There's a perception that things are changing for the better,'' said Commonwealth's Attorney Martin Bullock. ``And the reality is that Portsmouth is safer today than it ever has been in recent history.''
A Virginian-Pilot analysis of crime statistics indicates that the number of murders dropped from 37 in 1995 to 23 last year.
Robberies plummeted from 842 to 532. Rapes went down from 77 to 58, felony assaults from 549 to 454.
The statistics also show that overall crime - including non-violent crime - is down 4 percent, and that police are solving more violent crimes.
Police Chief Dennis Mook said that in 1996, police have identified only two drug-related murders in Portsmouth, a city that has been plagued by drug violence.
``This 29 percent cannot be written off to an anomaly or crime fluctuations,'' Mook said. ``It's a statistically significant figure.''
``The biggest change we've seen is participation by our citizens,'' he said. ``We've really worked very, very hard with getting our citizens involved.''
Cephas Wright is a 64-year-old resident of the Brighton/Prentis Park area, where violent crime fell 44 percent last year. The neighborhood watch program there has about 65 members and has had a neighborhood patrol car for about six years, but Wright says two community police officers have made the biggest difference in curbing crime.
``I'm not really surprised that the rate has gone down, because the police presence has been very noticeable in this neighborhood,'' Wright said.
``And since we got the two NEAT (Neighborhood Enhancement and Action Team) officers, they have really made the difference. . . . They keep after the people always hanging out - these known druggies, the users and suppliers.''
Wright's working-class neighborhood, surrounded by five of the city's six public housing neighborhoods, saw the second-largest drop in violent crime of any neighborhood.
Hodges Manor resident Marion ``Hank'' Morris was surprised to learn that crime declined citywide. Violent crime in his neighborhood grew from 30 incidents in 1995 to 43 last year, the biggest increase of any neighborhood in the city. However, Hodges Manor is still considered one of Portsmouth's safer neighborhoods.
``But I think it's wonderful'' that the overall numbers dropped, Morris said. ``It needs to be disseminated to all the area that Portsmouth is no longer the crime capital of Virginia.''
Morris said although he feels his neighborhood is pretty safe, the years of rising crime rates drove him to change the way he lived.
``I got a security system and . . . a loudmouth dog . . . and more secure locks on the place.''
He added that he was proud of Hodges Manor's community police officers.
``They attend civic league meetings, they've even been here to visit me at my house. . . . You know this is their territory, and their pride goes into seeing that it's crime-free to the greatest extent possible.''
In 1993, Portsmouth had the country's 24th-highest homicide rate. In 1995, when the city set a homicide record, the FBI listed it as 14th in the country for murders per capita - ahead of such violence-prone cities as Miami, Chicago and Philadelphia.
Portsmouth also had its highest violent-crime rate ever in 1995, with 14.8 crimes per 1,000 residents. Portsmouth was the only city in South Hampton Roads where there was a substantial increase in the violent crime rate from 1994 to 1995.
Last year, facing problems of witness intimidation, criticism of law enforcement and what was perceived as a lenient court system, Bullock and Mook took new initiatives to the City Council. Their goal was to issue arrest warrants within 72 hours of a murder and make an arrest within five days. Prosecutors would then try to bring suspects to trial within five months of their arrest. In addition, prosecutors would ask for higher bonds from judges.
According to Bullock, out of the 17 suspects arrested for homicides last year, 11 were arrested within five days. Of the 17 defendants facing murder charges, 14 remain in custody awaiting trial.
Although prosecutors fell short of their intended mark, it took about nine months, on average, to bring murder cases to trial. In 30 murder trials held since 1994, only two defendants were found not guilty, Bullock said.
Chief Circuit Court Judge Johnny Morrison said he believes that prosecutors are coming to court better prepared when asking for higher bonds in criminal cases.
``Prosecutors bring the detective to court, the witnesses and even the victim to court during a bond hearing,'' Morrison said. ``It's like a mini-trial.''
Bullock and Mook credit their initiatives, along with several other factors, for the drop in violent crime.
Mook created a separate homicide unit and robbery squad to allow police to focus on solving those crimes. A joint task force involving the FBI and local police has successfully targeted a number of violent crime and drug-related activities in the city. One drug-gang leader, Nathaniel Richardson, was sentenced Friday in federal court to life without parole.
The funding of additional police officers for the city's community policing program has made a large impact, Mook said, as has support from community members and residents.
``We seem to have hit on the right combination,'' Mook said. ``There's light at the end of the tunnel.''
City officials hope changing Portsmouth's tough image will make it a more popular place for people to live and do business. Crime ranks high on the list of things people want to know about a city before relocating there, and that has often made it tough to sell Portsmouth, city officials say.
``There is no question that it is a very positive thing in terms of perception, but importantly in terms of reality,'' City Manager Ron Massie said. ``You have to say the safer the image, the cleaner the image, the more progressive the image, the more people are going to look at you seriously as a place to live, do business or expand a business.''
Matthew James, the city's director of economic development, said changing the public's perception of Portsmouth as a crime haven has been a major marketing objective. The statistics, he said, make that job easier.
``It has been more of a challenge when talking to prospects in the local market because that perception did exist. And like any perception, it is hard to change,'' James said. ``You cannot change perception until people are comfortable with accepting the reality. And I think that is happening right now.''
MEMO: Coming Monday: More people are starting to consider Portsmouth as
a place to live and do business. ILLUSTRATION: Color chart and graphic
Photo by MARTIN SMITH-RODDEN, The Virginian-Pilot
Martin Bullock, Portsmouth's commonwealth's attorney, says things
are looking up in the city. ``There's a perception that things are
changing for the better.'' Some of the city's crime-fighting
initiatives include efforts to bring suspects to trial within five
months of their arrests, and a commitment to seek higher bonds for
suspects.
Chart
TURNING CRIME AROUND IN PORTSMOUTH
1995 1996 Percent change
Violent crimes Murde 37 23 down 38%
Rape 77 58 down 25%
Robbery 842 532 down 37%
Felony assault 549 454 down 17%
Property crimes
Burglary 1,639 1,605 down 2%
Auto Theft 875 871 down less than 1%
Larceny 4,953 5,040 up 2%
Source: Portsmouth police and Virginian-Pilot analysis of incident
reports.