THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, February 7, 1996 TAG: 9602070418
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY LARRY W. BROWN, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 83 lines
Reports of major crimes in the city - driven by a 28.8 percent increase in auto thefts - went up in 1995, reversing a five-year decline, police reported this week.
Property crimes such as larceny, auto theft and burglary helped push the 1995 numbers up 3.6 percent. They increased, in part, because of a pervasive drug culture, Police Chief Melvin C. High said.
``I think we need to be cognizant that prinicipally all the categories are in the economic arena,'' he said. ``So I think that says we have a serious problem with drugs . . . and we have to maintain some focus.''
The number of reported auto thefts marked the biggest increase from 1994. More than 2,300 vehicles were reported stolen in 1995, about 500 more than in 1994.
Murder and felonious assault reports, on the other hand, continued to decrease. Murder was down 13.1 percent, from 61 to 53. Assault dropped 10.1 percent, from 967 cases to 869.
The city measures eight major crimes. In addition to auto thefts, rape, robbery, burglary and larceny increased. Felonious assaultand arson decreased along with murder.
In all, more than 20,700 major crimes were reported last year, up about 700 from 1994.
High said he was not pleased with the upward shift in overall crime, especially following 1994, which had a significant drop of 10.5 percent.
``I don't think we ever feel good when there's an increase in a negative statistic,'' High said in an interview. He said he was pleased with the decrease in murder and felonious assault.
The 1995 increase reversed a downward streak in reported crime that began in 1991. The 1994 decrease was the largest one-year reduction in 22 years. It was the fourth straight year that major crimes recorded by the FBI's Uniform Crime Report decreased in Norfolk.
Rape cases last year went up 7.7 percent, from 156 to 168. High said the number may have increased because more victims are coming forward.
Reports of arson marked the biggest 1995 decrease - down 20.6 percent - from 141 reported cases to 112.
The police department began noticing the rising property crime trend late last summer when it released its midyear crime figures.
In response to the high number of vehicle thefts, police formed an auto task force in September. From September to December, the task force recovered 246 stolen automobiles, $2.5 million worth of property and made 154 arrests, the department reported.
The drop in some violent crimes mirrored what appears to be a national trend. Nationally, the number of homicides reported to police fell by 12 percent during the first half of 1995, the most dramatic decline since 1960.
Experts credited the decline to a combination of the aging of baby boomers, police efforts aimed at stopping drug gangs and guns, and the development of stable turf agreements between drug runners.
High said a lot of resources and attention have been diverted to combat those areas.
``Since the mid-80s that has been the principal focus of police departments,'' High said.
He continued to tout Norfolk's community police program - named PACE - as the key to reducing crime.
``We have tried to focus and shape citizens' involvement in a very personal way,'' he said. ``One of the things they are clearly understanding is their own personal safety as opposed to safety of property.''
Property safety includes not leaving keys in vehicles, forming block-watch groups and marking property for identification, he said.
This year, High said, the department aims to continue to ``work with our citizens at least to alert them of those habits. . . and at the same time not losing sight of the violence.'' ILLUSTRATION: Graphic
VP
NORFOLK CRIMES
Total crimes reported 1990-1995
SOURCE: Norfolk Police Department
[For complete graphic, please see microfilm]
KEYWORDS: NORFOLK CRIME STATISTICS by CNB