Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, June 18, 1990 TAG: 9006180233
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: A-3 EDITION: EVENING
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH LENGTH: Medium
"I'm not sure we can be totally effective relying solely on law enforcement to deal with a situation like this," said C. Oral Lambert, the city's public works director and a primary organizer of Laborfest, the Labor Day weekend festival expected to attract thousands of young blacks. "I think we need to get to the individuals in a more personal way."
"If - and I underscore if - there are neighborhoods where there is a concentration of activity, I think we need to get into those neighborhoods with individuals . . . that can provide role models, an image they can respect and look up to, and begin to relate to them," Lambert said.
City and community officials have been planning for this year's festival in hopes of avoiding the rioting that broke out last Labor Day.
Some of the recent beatings have involved groups of whites attacking blacks. But police say the prevailing pattern is groups of 10 to 15 blacks assaulting groups of three or fewer whites.
Since May 1, there have been seven signed complaints, police said. Six were instances of blacks attacking whites. The seventh was a case of whites attacking blacks.
Most of those arrested in the incidents are Southeastern Virginia youths 15 to 18 years old. They typically walk near the beach in groups, setting off a fight by bumping or surrounding and taunting a bystander.
Darrell Huffman, 19, said he and two friends were walking on the Boardwalk about 10:30 p.m. April 28 when they came upon a group of teen-agers sitting on benches and leaning against railings.
Huffman said no one in his group said anything to the youths when they surrounded him and his friends and attacked them.
Huffman missed two weeks of work because of three cracked ribs and bruised kidneys, he said.
Daniel M. Stone, the city's director of social services and another Laborfest organizer, said he hopes to help assemble a small panel of community advocates to discuss ways to stop the violence.
"Let's study the facts," Stone said. "Let's see where these kids are coming from, their ages, let's see if we can know their parents. Let's get together a group of key people . . . who are concerned and have skills that can be brought to bear on this problem."
Police officers have been told not to discuss the conflicts because of their highly sensitive nature.
"The Police Department is obviously concerned about these incidents as we are about any reports of law breaking," said police Chief Charles R. Wall in a prepared statement. "We are closely monitoring the situation and have increased patrols in the resort area."
by CNB