195 lines
8.9 KiB
Plaintext
195 lines
8.9 KiB
Plaintext
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September 1991
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POLICE PRACTICES:
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MINISTERS TEAM WITH POLICE TO KEEP THE PEACE
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By
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D. R. Staton
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Minister
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President
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Police and Ministers Associaton
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Virginia Beach, Virginia
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and
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Larry Edwards
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Minister
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Coordinator
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Daytona Beach Police-Ministers Association
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In 1989, an annual Labor Day weekend gathering of college
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students in the resort city of Virginia Beach, Virginia, erupted
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into violent rioting. Thousands of students who had gathered to
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celebrate "Greekfest," so-called because of its origins as a
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fraternity gathering, took to the streets, looting shorefront
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shops and creating social unrest. The event captured media
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attention. Nationwide, Americans witnessed the rioting and law
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enforcement response that mirrored police actions of the 1960s.
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Once the student uprising was quelled, the city council and
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police department looked for ways to avert similar situations.
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Virginia Beach had built a reputation as a family vacation spot.
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But the events of the 1989 Labor Day weekend, combined with
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rising youth gang activity, threatened to mar the peaceful
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atmosphere of the resort.
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In searching for new approaches to deal with the large
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number of students (and other young visitors) who stream into
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the city for the Labor Day weekend, Virginia Beach Police
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officials focused on a similar event that occurred annually in
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Daytona Beach, Florida. Each year, college students and other
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young adults converge on the resort area during Spring Break.
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While slightly higher arrest rates and the expected parking
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infractions occur during this time, there are no largescale
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disturbances as the one that took place in Virginia Beach.
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THE DAYTONA BEACH EXPERIENCE
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When Virginia Beach police officials visited the Daytona
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area, they found that an integral part of the police
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department's strategy to quell potential unrest is an expanded
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police chaplain program. Since its establishment in 1986, the
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Daytona Beach Police-Ministers Association has served as both a
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buffer and liaison between the police and the community. The
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association is made up of area chaplains, both black and white,
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representing many faiths. The ministers ride with officers
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throughout the year, but increase their presence during special
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events, such as Spring Break and college homecomings.
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The ministers are trained and sensitized to the rigors of
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law enforcement. The majority of their instruction comes from
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the programs coordinator, who is a former police officer.
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In addition, the ministers are trained to spot crowd
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"leaders." As they mingle with groups of young people in the
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resort area, they explain what the police are doing and why.
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Though this is not an easy task, their success rate has been
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very high. As a result, the ministers are credited with
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quelling many would-be, and potentially explosive, disturbances.
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They, in particular, create a calming effect upon young,
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would-be troublemakers who, at the slightest provocation, could
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confront the police.
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The coordinator of the Daytona association persuaded the
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Virginia Beach Police Department, and then a somewhat reluctant
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community, to consider the same approach in that city. The
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result was the creation of the Virginia Beach Police and
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Ministers Association.
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MINISTERS TEAM UP WITH POLICE
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At the direction of the police chief, 40 members of the
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clergy from Virginia Beach area churches of all denominations
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were asked to become certified police chaplains. Over 30
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volunteer chaplains, including military chaplains from the
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nearby naval base in Norfolk, attended a weeklong workshop and
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orientation in June 1990. The coordinator of the Daytona Beach
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program made several visits to Virginia Beach to help set up the
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program and to supervise the training. The instruction
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included:
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* Crowd control techniques,
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* General communication skills,
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* Basic self-defense,
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* Police radio operation,
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* Patrol car conduct/activity,
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* Police patrol regulations and procedures,
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* General counseling (of both officers and citizens),
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* Instruction concerning when to assist officers,
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* Coping with failure,
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* Human relations skills, and
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* Relating to military personnel.
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In addition, the ministers were shown films, complete with
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critical assessments, of the 1989 riot in Virginia Beach and
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Daytonas 1990 Spring Break.
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On the last day of training, the volunteer chaplains were
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assigned to accompany officers on foot patrol. One chaplain was
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assigned to each of the 16 two-officer foot patrol teams
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covering the resorts main strip roadway. In addition, a
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chaplain accompanied each of the 12 two-officer units patrolling
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the boardwalk area (approximately 50 blocks.)
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RESULTS
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During the first weeks of the program, chaplains proved
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very effective in calming potentially explosive situations.
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Often, they succeeded in averting confrontations before police
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involvement was required. Gradually, reluctant officers began
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to request the assistance of the chaplains in various
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situations.
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The volunteer chaplains worked every Friday and Saturday
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night from June 29th to the Labor Day weekend (also including
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the July 4th holiday). When the summer tourist season came to
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an end, the volunteer chaplains had completed 1,626 hours of
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walking beats with police officers.
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LABORFEST 1990
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The "big test" for the chaplain program, however, was the
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Labor Day weekend and the task of helping to "keep the lid" on
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the potentially explosive annual gathering of students and young
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adults, now called Laborfest. The holiday weekend was the
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program's most active, with 35 chaplains contributing 740 hours
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of service. The result of the chaplains' efforts and the other
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measures adopted by the city proved very successful. During
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Labor Day weekend 1989, there were approximately 1,500 arrests
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and significant property damage to the city. During the same
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weekend in 1990, there were 100 arrests and only minimal
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property damage.
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There were several reasons for this success. A
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comprehensive strategy had been developed to alleviate some of
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the factors that contributed to the unrest of the previous year.
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Checkpoints were erected at the entrances to the resort strip to
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restrict traffic flow, and only residents and visitors with
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confirmed accommodations were allowed to proceed past the
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checkpoints. Other motorists were required to park their
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vehicles at satellite sites where a shuttle service was
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operating to take them to and from the waterfront. In addition,
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concerts, dances, and other events were organized by the city,
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as part of Laborfest.
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The chaplain program, too, was an integral part of the
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police department's strategy to reduce the possibility of
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unrest. Officers maintained a low profile and allowed the
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chaplains to approach problem situations in pairs or groups.
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When crowds began to get overzealous or rowdy, chaplains
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provided a calming influence that kept the atmosphere peaceful.
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After the Labor Day weekend, 23 chaplains chose to remain
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active in the program. They were provided additional training
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and are now assigned to accompany patrol units in all areas of
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the city. The remaining chaplains are available for special
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events and for resumption of the summer program.
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CONCLUSION
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When violence and criminal activity threatened the peaceful
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atmosphere in Virginia Beach, police officials decided to
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approach the problem with innovative strategies. Basing an
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expanded police chaplain program on the successful Daytona Beach
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experience, they were able to provide an effective response to
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the problem at a minimal cost to the city.
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Volunteer chaplains have proved to be a very valuable
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police resource. They provide a calming influence and help to
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reduce anxiety during potentially violent situations. In the
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process, they have helped to foster a sense of good will between
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the police, the community, and visitors to the resort area.
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