THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, March 10, 1995 TAG: 9503080020
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A10 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: Short : 42 lines
We want to publicly express appreciation to Del. George W. Grayson for keeping his word about sponsoring convenience-store safety legislation.
The convenience-store crime problem in Virginia is serious, and more clerks are dying every year. In 1989, when we first asked the State Crime Commission to conduct a study of the problem, legislation requiring two clerks or a bulletproof enclosure was quickly endorsed by the Virginia Crime Prevention Association, the Virginia Fraternal Order of Police, the Hampton Roads Association of Police Chiefs and more than 90 percent of the general public. In 1991, as the result of a study by the Virginia Crime Prevention Center, the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services recommended such a law.
Since the 1991 study, in various years three delegates and one senator have agreed to sponsor the bill. Each time, an industry lobbyist has sat in on subcommittee meetings, the subcommittees have meekly submitted to his wishes and the bill has been killed. As a result, thousands of clerks are still left working alone at night like sitting ducks, to be robbed, assaulted or killed.
Sylvia Babcock spoke before the subcommittee this year. Her father's recent death in a 7-Eleven on the Peninsula tragically illustrates the injustice of moneyed interests preventing the law that could have saved him.
Delegate Grayson is the only legislator who has refused to roll over for the big-bucks influence peddlers, and the citizens should know of his courage.
We ask the people to support the singular integrity of George Grayson and to elect more like him so that we can one day get this bill passed.
NANCY M. CAROTHERS
Co-chairman
JEAN BERRIER
Co-chairman
Convenience Store Safety Committee
Virginia Beach, Feb. 28, 1995 by CNB