''DRUG- FREE'' SIGNS ARE HIT AND MISS

John Fahey says the ideal placement for a ''Drug Free Area'' sign is
1,000 feet from school boundaries.

You might say John Fahey is the father of the "Drug-Free Area" sign in
Virginia. And papa's not happy with what he sees. Throughout Virginia
Beach school zones, Fahey said, he sees signs placed haphazardly, or
not at all.

"You find them at some schools and not at others," said Fahey, a Great
Neck resident who served on the Beach School Board from 1982 to 1990.
"You go to one school, you find them in one direction, but not the
other."

Fahey first saw "Drug-Free Area" signs in New Jersey in the late
1980s, and inquired about whether Virginia had such zones.

Virginia did have a law, but it was weaker than New Jersey's.
Then-Del. Glenn R. Croshaw introduced legislation that called for
strict penalties for distributing drugs within 1,000 feet of a school
zone. It became law .

The "Drug-Free Area" signs followed in the early 1990s.

Fahey believes the ideal placement for the signs is 1,000 feet from
the school's boundary. However, he said, if the signs are present at
all, they are often well inside 1,000 feet.

"That's the border," Fahey said. "It doesn't make sense to place them
anywhere else."

With no law dictating the placement, Beach traffic engineer Mike
Shahsiah said, "We find the best location is the limit of the school
area."

In the interest of economy, he said, "Drug-Free Area" signs are often
placed on the same poles as other school signs, such as those for
school crosswalks.

The city's DARE officer, Charles L. Hightower, believes the signs are
an important tool.

"I think the signs need to be there for people to recognize where the
zones are," said Hightower, a sergeant with the city Sheriff's Department.

While the school division paid for the initial installation, the
city's traffic engineering department is responsible for
maintenance.

If signs are missing or improperly installed, Shahsiah said Beach
residents should call the traffic engineering department at 427-4131
to report the problem. A traffic engineer will investigate, and the
problem will be addressed accordingly.

Or, if you like, you can route your requests through the
Warrior.

Shahsiah said he is preparing to send a survey to city schools asking
whether there are traffic engineering issues that need to be
addressed. The survey provides an opportunity for officials to point
out misplaced and missing "Drug-Free Area" signs, he said.