DATE: Tuesday, November 11, 1997            TAG: 9711070800

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B3   EDITION: FINAL 

TYPE: Public Safety

SOURCE: BY JUNE ARNEY, STAFF WRITER 

DATELINE: CHESAPEAKE                        LENGTH:   67 lines

A PARTNERSHIP WITH POLICE CUTS CRIME IN CHESAPEAKE

To hear South Side Civic League members tell it, Police Officer John Maresco Jr. has made a huge difference in their community.

Maresco, recently honored by the group with a plaque for his work, says the changes couldn't have occurred without a partnership of police and residents. He now works in crime prevention in the second precinct.

``The South Side Civic League believes the squeaky wheel gets the grease,'' the 36-year-old officer said. ``They'll go in groups to City Council.''

James W. McNeil, the league president, said the neighborhood is peaceful now as a result of the work of Maresco and other officers.

``I'm telling you the truth - he did a magnificent job,'' McNeil said. ``The police cannot do everything. We've got to work with them as a partner.''

For about a year, between the summers of 1995 and 1996, Maresco was a community police officer in South Side, which makes up a large part of South Norfolk.

He helped arrange for the demolition of vacant buildings, got signs posted to keep drug dealers from congregating, made friends and made arrests.

``I'm a very aggressive officer,'' he said. ``I go out and talk to people. You find out what the problems are.''

Crime statistics from one, 21-day blitz of police activity in South Side during March 1996 included 85 traffic arrests, five drug arrests, four DUIs and four recovered stolen vehicles, according to Chesapeake police. A team of officers were involved in those arrests.

L.K. Goldsmith, one of the patrol officers who worked with Maresco in South Side, said officers routinely made themselves available to the residents. They attended civic meetings and talked on street corners. The results made a difference.

``The drug dealers and criminals weren't hanging out on the streets anymore,'' he said. ``The citizens had had enough of it. It had been going on for years, but they'd just had enough. You've got to put yourself in their shoes.''

South Side also has its share of enthusiastic civic league members. Take Raymond Worrell, the 65-year-old league vice president, who stopped to talk as Maresco drove through recently.

When massive water tanks were being installed in the neighborhood last year, Worrell, a former government inspector who used to monitor water and fuel tanks, donned his hard hat and strolled down to the site. He never misrepresented himself, but he asked tough questions and always got answers. He wanted to know about the cleanliness and stability of the tanks that were becoming part of the neighborhood.

``They're real nice to you when you put your hard hat on,'' he said. ``I don't know what they thought. I just said `How's my tank doing?' ''

Worrell then reported the results of his half-dozen or so ``inspections'' to league members. The tanks are now operational, each holding millions of gallons of water, he said.

In nearby Home Crest Mobile Home Park, Maresco won another group of friends.

``He made an impact as soon as I met him,'' said Jeff Butler, manager at the mobile-home park. ``He broke up a bike ring the first summer.''

When Maresco first showed up, residents' mountain bikes were being stolen. The park had traffic problems. There were thefts of cars and other items. Drug deals were being made from the pay phone, until it was removed.

Butler said the neighborhood has had few incidents in the past year. ``I've got to credit neighborhood watch. He helped strengthen that. He takes the time to talk to people.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo

John Maresco Jr.

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