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