THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, February 25, 1996 TAG: 9602250058
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B7 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: Steve Stone
LENGTH: Medium: 92 lines
Local police are seeking public assistance in solving these cases:
VIRGINIA BEACH
On Sunday, Jan. 7, about 6:30 a.m., police were called to the Duck Inn Restaurant in the 3300 block of Shore Drive near the Lesner Bridge after a burglar alarm was set off.
Officers found that the restaurant had been broken into and ransacked.
The thieves also had pushed the safe out of a window and money was missing from it. Several rolls of coins were left behind.
Eight days later, on Monday, Jan. 15, the restaurant was burglarized again. The safe was again pushed out the window, but the thieves were unable to open it.
Investigators believe it took more than one person to lift the safe.
SUFFOLK
Early on the morning of Feb. 15, thieves went to Cedar Hill Cemetery off Constance Road and removed two large flower pots.
The pots taken were cast iron, but appeared to be copper and weighed about 200 pounds each.
There have been several thefts of copper from homes and construction sites in the area.
Sometime during the weekend of Feb. 9, thieves went to the Suffolk Mini Storage Complex in the 2000 block of Holland Road and entered a number of containers by cutting off the locks.
The thieves stole a large number of items, some of them antiques. Among the items stolen: a cherry wood desk and Windsor chair, a number of silver pieces, glassware, a brass railroad lamp, assorted electrical and hand tools, two handguns and two shotguns.
CHESAPEAKE
On Feb. 12, at the intersection of Holly Cove Drive and Sail Court, a man was shot in the back twice by a man attempting to take his mountain bike.
The suspect is described as black, age 17 to 23, 5 feet 8 inches tall and 160 pounds. He was wearing a black and white camouflage jacket, black baggy jeans and a black toboggan cap with a white emblem. He also had two earrings in his left ear.
HAMPTON
On Feb. 1, just before midnight, a man entered Blockbuster Video in the 200 block of W. Mercury Blvd. and approached the clerk. He demanded money from the register and fled.
The robber was videotaped by a security camera.
He is described as black, 25 to 35, 6 feet tall and 165 pounds. He was wearing a green field jacket, a yellow T-shirt, brown pants and a dark knit cap.
NORFOLK
The ongoing ``Norfolk Sweeps Clean'' program will move into another section of the city this month with city and state inspectors checking properties for compliance with codes and health regulations.
Included in this round are the planning districts of Suburban, Talbot Park, Roland Park, Coronado, Sewells Gardens, Norview, East Norview, Lakewood, Lafayette-Winona, Cromwell Road Industrial, Estabrook, Fox Hall, Coleman Place, and Ballentine Place.
Norfolk City Council launched the program last year to abate and eradicate blight. Studies have shown that urban blight is an indirect contributor to increased crime.
The program uses the Police Assisted Community Enforcement program neighborhoods - in this case, the Second Gold Sector. That area is bounded at the north by Crab Creek and Interstate 64, which also wraps into an eastern boundary. Its western boundary is the northern branch of the Lafayette River. The Norfolk Southern Railroad and East Princess Anne Road form the southern boundary.
Property owners, residents and business owners are encouraged to remove graffiti, trash and debris, and to repair peeling paint, torn screens, structural deficiencies and other unsightly and potentially dangerous problems that violate city code and health regulations.
From Monday through March 17, property owners will be able to participate in an amnesty week. They may place any items - except hazardous waste - at curbside for pickup on the day their trash is regularly scheduled for collection. All items must be properly tied or bundled.
Starting Monday, March 4, 30 Norfolk inspectors will kick off a two-week curbside inspection of properties. Inspectors from the departments of City Planning and Codes Administration, Health, Solid Waste, and Zoning will issue notices for violations.
The end of the sweep will signal the return of another ``amnesty week,'' March 18 through 22.
For details, call City Planning and Codes Administration at 664-6509. by CNB