DATE: Sunday, August 10, 1997               TAG: 9708080239

SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER      PAGE: 04   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY LEWIS KRAUSKOPF, STAFF WRITER 
                                            LENGTH:   56 lines

PONY RIDES, PARADE, COOKOUTS UNITE NEIGHBORS AGAINST CRIME SOME 2,000 RESIDENTS IN 21 NEIGHBORHOODS CELEBRATE CITY'S NATIONAL NIGHT OUT AGAINST CRIME.

For some, it meant ice cream.

For others, it meant pony rides and clowns.

But for the neighborhoods that participated, National Night Out Against Crime meant a time to celebrate safety in their communities.

About 21 neighborhoods involving 3,000 residents partook in Tuesday night's event in the form of cookouts, block parties and parades.

``The goal is to show the common burglar that this neighborhood had come together in unity against crime,'' said Officer Debbie Holmes, of the city's crime prevention department.

Pony rides aren't a permanent fixture in the park at Deep Creek's Wingfield Pointe. But on the strength of $10 chipped in from each participating household, the neighborhood rented the ponies for Tuesday night's event.

In 1996, Wingfield Pointe was named neighborhood watch group of the year for not tolerating crime, Holmes said.

Holmes described one example of Wingfield Pointe's tough attitude: In daylight, a man went into a house garage, stole tools and waved at neighbors. Not recognizing him, neighbors wrote down his license plate number and reported it. The man happened to be on parole, and he was caught and sent back to prison.

``We know when each other's out of town,'' said Sarah Malloy, a co-organizer of Wingfield Pointe's neighborhood watch group. ``So we can watch out for each other.''

By gathering over hot dogs, pasta salad and brownies, Wingfield Pointe residents hoped to take another step toward safety.

``In today's hi-tech world, . . . you've got to have events like this; otherwise nobody meets each other,'' said Chesapeake police officer J.J. Bider.

Bider was one of many law enforcement officials who stopped by the various neighborhood celebrations.

In the Naval Security Group Activity Northwest neighborhood, the Chesapeake Sheriff's Office demonstration of a high-speed pursuit thrilled residents, said Petty Officer 1st Class Joe Sprucebank. About 200 residents also participated in a parade - complete with a marching band - around the base.

At Homecrest Mobile Home Park, about 45 children and a handful of adults were sprinkling toppings on ice cream scoops for their community party, in the hopes that bonding over ice cream now would mean a safer community when the children get older.

``We're hoping that if we start young . . . they will learn more responsibility for the neighborhood,'' said Kathleen Donahue, who coordinated Homecrest's National Night Out effort.

The city also chipped in to the National Night Out celebrations, spending $1,500 for bumper stickers, balloons, neon pencils and necklaces, and banners, Holmes said.

Police officers also chauffeured McGruff the Crime Dog to the various neighborhoods, where the trench-coated canine handed out foil badges.

Send Suggestions or Comments to webmaster@scholar.lib.vt.edu