DATE: Tuesday, March 11, 1997               TAG: 9703110287

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B1   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY TONI GUAGENTI, STAFF WRITER

DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH                    LENGTH:   62 lines

EX-POLICEMAN SEEKS TO BE STATE'S TOP COP

State Sen. Ken Stolle launched his bid for Virginia attorney general Monday, declaring a war on drug abuse.

``As far as I'm concerned, the No. 1 challenge facing Virginia is ending the drug abuse among our children,'' said the Virginia Beach Republican, on home turf at the Clarion Hotel off Bonney Road.

``Virginia's next generation of students must be prepared to lead productive lives in the 21st century.''

Stolle is competing for the GOP nomination for attorney general on June 10 against three other candidates, including Sen. Mark Earley, a Chesapeake lawmaker.

At the Clarion, more than 250 people, including a number of elected officials from across the area, rallied to support Stolle's bid. Many shook red-and-white placards that proclaimed Stolle's name and the office he seeks.

Stolle starts a 30-day tour of Virginia today to garner support, both financial and political, for his attorney general bid.

The tour will culminate with his campaign's statewide announcement some time next month.

Stolle, a former Virginia Beach police officer turned lawyer and legislator, said he will announce specifics of his ``Get Real Virginia'' program to stop children from using drugs.

``We simply cannot allow another generation of Virginians to grow up feeling the peer pressure to do drugs,'' Stolle said before a standing-room-only crowd as his wife and three children watched. ``We simply cannot allow another generation of Virginians to be the victims of random drug violence.

``We simply cannot allow another generation of Virginians to grow up knowing that pot is for sale in their schools and crack cocaine is just a phone call away.''

Stolle said intervention, rehabilitation and education are just as important as prevention in stopping children from using drugs.

He cited these statistics:

Since 1990, the number of juveniles arrested for possessing drugs is up 385 percent.

Since 1990, the number of juveniles arrested for distributing drugs is up 194 percent.

Virginians have to look at the demand side of the drug equation, not just the supply side, Stolle said.

Other issues Stolle declared as high on his priority list included:

Upholding Virginia's right-to-work law.

Opposing unnecessary, burdensome regulations on businesses.

Protecting the state's natural resources.

Fighting to ensure that quality education is available to all Virginians.

Virginia Fraternal Order of Police President Garth Wheeler said that Stolle, as attorney general, would be a criminal's worst nightmare but a friend to business and a compassionate chief law enforcement officer for the state. ILLUSTRATION: [Color photo]

HUY NGUYEN/The Virginian-Pilot

Republican State Sen. Ken Stolle announces his candidacy for state

attorney general Monday in Virginia Beach, promising a war on drugs. KEYWORDS: CANDIDATE ATTORNEY GENERAL RACE

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