DATE: Friday, September 19, 1997            TAG: 9709190978

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B5   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY LARRY W. BROWN, STAFF WRITER 

DATELINE: NORFOLK                           LENGTH:   48 lines

AT SITE OF 3 SLAYINGS, OFFICIALS VOW TO END VIOLENCE

Nearly two dozen city and police officials gathered with East Ocean View civic leaders Thursday at the location of Norfolk's first triple homicide in five years and vowed to put an end to the violence.

``We will rid our streets of these few. . . who attempt to terrorize our community,'' Police Chief Melvin C. High said at the news conference. High said police and the city will work together in a ``no-nonsense approach'' to provide resources they hope will stop crime in the area.

He was not specific, but he said the efforts may mean more police officers patrolling the streets and increased sweeps: concentrated patrols to arrest criminals.

High said Tuesday night's shootout, which led to the deaths of three men, ``is of great concern to the department, city government and citizens.''

The shootings happened about 8:15 p.m. Tuesday in the 9600 block of 15th Bay St. Police and residents said gunfire erupted near a parking lot of an apartment complex. Two men died at the scene and the third died shortly after arriving at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital. They ranged in age from late teens to early 20s.

Police said the investigation into the slayings is continuing. The names of the victims were still being withheld.

Capt. R.E. Hazelette, commanding officer of the Detective Division, said the shooters and victims knew each other. No one has been arrested, he said, but arrests may be imminent.

The shootings likely involved drugs, Hazelette said.

Police statistics show that 209 violent crimes were reported in East Ocean View in 1996. There were 18 violent crimes per 1,000 residents, compared with an overall violent crime rate of about 10 crimes per 1,000 residents in Norfolk.

``People involved in drug trafficking for the most part . . . fuel (criminal) activity,'' High said.

He said police hope to receive more grant money to implement targeted enforcement efforts in East Ocean View. He cited the city's recent crackdown on blight and prostitution as an example of initiatives that have been used so far.

Mayor Paul Fraim said the city is waging the war on crime in many pockets of the city.

``We're going to redouble our efforts in Norfolk to take back our streets,'' he said.

People are fed up with drugs, violence and blight in East Ocean View and throughout the city, Councilman W. Randy Wright added.

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