THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, October 15, 1995 TAG: 9510130658
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A11 EDITION: FINAL
SERIES: ELECTION '95
THE CITIZENS' AGENDA
The Virginian-Pilot has asked people around the state what their major
concerns are leading up to the Nov. 7 election. This is one in a
series of in-depth reports on those concerns: Today's topic: Violence
in Public Housing.
SOURCE: BY JON FRANK, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 69 lines
Sherwood Harrison remembers what life was like before he moved into the projects, when he had his own yard and enough garden space to grow corn, snap beans and potatoes.
That was more than 20 years ago, in the Huntersville section of Norfolk. Harrison, like most of his neighbors, rented from absentee landlords. But what he and his neighbors lacked in worldly goods they made up for in friendship and community spirit.
For his part, Harrison had a green thumb, and shared what he grew in his garden with those who lived nearby.
``It was neighborly like,'' Harrison recalled. ``Everybody would tend to their own business, but if you got into trouble everybody would pull together. You can't do that kind of stuff anymore.''
Harrison and his wife moved to Young Terrace, a Norfolk public housing community, about 14 years ago.
At first, living in public housing wasn't so bad. Harrison used to be able to find card games or dominoes competition on every block. In other parts of the project, elderly residents felt safe enough to sit outside and gossip during the summer months.
While Young Terrace has a violent crime rate only slightly higher than the city's, Harrison said some residents are scared.
``Ain't nobody want to get accidentally killed. You get killed, you want to know where it is coming from or what it is for. You don't want to be sitting down and your mind is on the beach and here come a bullet.''
Harrison says he is no stranger to violence. When he was in his 20s, living in Huntersville, he shot a man to stop him from assaulting a woman.
The man died. Harrison, who is now 48, was convicted of involuntary manslaughter. He did not do prison time and says he felt justified in killing the man. He still does. The woman he saved became the mother of his two children.
But what Harrison sees today on the streets outside his apartment on Nicholson Street is a violence without justification, he says.
Twice in recent weeks he said there was gunplay outside his apartment. On one occasion, he saw a man approach a car that had come to a stop on Nicholson Street in front of his apartment. The man ducked as a shot from inside the car rang out. He began to run when a second shot was fired. Moments later, the car drove away as if nothing had happened.
Most of the problems are caused by young men, Harrison said, who intimidate residents of public housing.
``They need to take these teenagers off the streets,'' Harrison said. ``Teenagers with nothing to do. They need jobs.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo
CHRISTOPHER REDDICK/Staff
Sherwood Harrison smokes a cigarette at home. He has lived in Young
Terrace in Norfolk for 14 years.
KEYWORDS: COMMUNITY CONVERSATION CRIME PUBLIC HOUSING
HAMPTON ROADS STATISTICS
by CNB