COUNCILMAN CONFRONTS PARK USERS

Wilmington City Councilman Jason Thompson decided he'd heard enough about
crime problems Thursday night and that it was time to do something about it.

"I can't describe to you how angry I am," Mr. Thompson said to the dozens
of people who attended a town hall meeting at Martin Luther King Center on
Eighth Street. Many of them complained about drug problems, noise and young
people hanging out on streets in the inner city.

Mr. Thompson said, when he drove by to attend the meeting Thursday night,
he saw young people with drug paraphernalia and open containers of
alcoholic beverages under a pavilion in Robert Strange Park, north of the
Martin Luther King Center. "Let's stand up and march right over there until
they leave," Mr. Thompson said to the crowd.

About a dozen people, including at least two police officers, walked with
him to the pavilion, where he asked people what they were doing there. He
told the surprised crowd that he was a city councilman and that residents
had just talked about taking back their neighborhoods from drug dealers and
other criminals.

He asked the men and women to join city officials and other residents in
cleaning up their neighborhoods.

Under one of the picnic tables, beer spilled from a can, part of which was
covered by a paper bag. When the men were asked who the beer belonged to,
no one admitted ownership.

Two trash barrels next to the pavilion were filled with beer, wine and
liquor bottles.

After the confrontation, Mr. Thompson and the people who accompanied him left.

But some of those under the pavilion were unhappy at what had transpired.
One unidentified woman said he wouldn't get her vote in the next election
and that Mr. Thompson "came over here with a nasty attitude."

"I understand what he's trying to do," said Marlin McCullough, who was
sitting at one of the picnic tables. Mr. McCullough said he and his friends
play softball and enjoy other activities in the park. "This is a part of
what we do," he said.

James Vaught, who was sitting across the table, asked if Mr. Thompson
planned to visit Sunset Park and other parks in the city. Mr. Vaught
believes the police have targeted the people in Robert Strange Park because
they are black. "I don't see them going into other parks," he said.

Mayor Harper Peterson and the other council members at Thursday's meeting
didn't join Mr. Thompson under the pavilion.

Asked about the confrontation, Mr. Peterson said: "Jason is a concerned
elected official and he's frustrated like everyone else."

Councilwoman Laura Padgett said the confrontation was probably a good idea
because it showed what happens when police suspect illegal activity but
don't have the evidence to arrest anyone. People under the pavilion saw the
crowd coming and knew to get rid of anything they might have been holding
that could get them arrested, she said.

Earlier in the evening, people complained about young people loitering,
playing boom boxes and disturbing residents, selling drugs, using profanity
and urinating in public in the area of 10th and Castle streets as well as
other parts of the inner city.

Mayor Pro Tem Katherine Bell Moore said she had heard that people were
afraid to call the police because of retaliation from their neighbors. She
asked if people were afraid to call the police.

One woman, who said she and her daughter have called the police numerous
times, said crowds of people gather every weekend. She said she could see
people holding guns to other people's heads.

Lt. J.J. Lightner said the police have begun targeting some of the problem
areas. He explained some of the challenges the police face, such as drug
dealers wearing white T-shirts and jeans so they can't be easily identified
by what they wear. Drug dealers also use young children to conduct drug
transactions and work in areas where the elderly live because they know
older residents are afraid to call the police, he said.

Mr. Thompson said he participated in the Police Department's Ride Along
program several weeks ago and helped the police chase several suspects. He
said he got a firsthand look at some of the problems the police face.

Sgt. M. A. Fey said problems are worse where convenience stores are open
late because it gives drug dealers places to hang out.

Mr. Peterson said attacking crime, street by street, block by block, is his
top priority as well as that of the City Council. "We're not going to be
sitting here a year from now repeating ourselves."