Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, June 12, 1990 TAG: 9006120304
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: A-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: By LAURENCE HAMMACK and RON BROWN STAFF WRITERS
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
The woman's fear of retaliation is not uncommon in the area, which residents say has been taken over in recent weeks by a crowd of outsiders intent on making trouble.
Police have received numerous reports of crowds that gather in the area of 11th Street and Moorman Road and pelt passing cars with rocks and bottles.
The woman, 62, said that most of the troublemakers do not live in the area, a neighborhood of mainly older residents where she has lived for the past 20 years.
"The young people who throw bottles don't realize that they're making things bad for everybody," said another resident, who also asked not to be identified.
The first woman, who said she is kept up some nights until 4 a.m. by loud music and gunshots from the crowd, attributes the problem to what is wrong in many areas of Northwest Roanoke. "It's some drugs being sold somewhere," she said. "No one would want to hang around here if it wasn't for selling drugs."
Merchants are also concerned with the problem. An 11th Street businessman, who asked not to be named because he feared retaliation, said he contacted Assistant City Manager Earl B. Reynolds about the problem. Reynolds was unavailable for comment Monday.
A 17-year-old who was at 11th Street when trouble broke out Friday night made the point that black youths have little entertainment in Roanoke. He asked that he not be identified.
He said many black youths feel they cannot gather without being harassed by police. "If you go to a party, they are going to bust you up. If you go to a food place, they are going to move you out. There is nothing to do for black teen-agers."
He said a lack of black patrol officers hampers police.
"I never see black officers approach black kids, ever," he said. "Maybe black officers are in the white neighborhoods. It seems the officers are always white."
The youth said 15 hard-core troublemakers are causing most of the problems.
"When I first got there, I saw a lot of people standing on the corner," he said. "Then I saw bottles thrown in the street. There was glass everywhere. It is a dangerous place. I'm sure some of the people were carrying guns."
Most people gathered for entertainment or conversation, the youth said. Drugs and alcohol are readily available.
"There are two sets of people. One just sits back and watches the troublemakers. They don't interact because they're scared of them. All eyes were watching these guys. They were the catalyst."
He said the crowd dispersed quickly Friday when police arrived, some equipped with riot helmets and batons.
The youth said the troublemakers even calmed down at the sight of police. "When they see the cops, they ease down a little bit. If you're Jesse James, you can't afford to be in trouble."
After police arrived, some of the teen-agers went to La Cove restaurant on Cove Road. Police soon followed. "The kids just wanted to go to a place where there were no cops. I get tired of the way the cops handle crowds. They seem like they fear black people in groups, always," the youth said.
by CNB