Police crack down on loitering
By Elizabeth Billips lizbillips@yahoo.com

Officer Chris Greene inspects a vandalized sign in one of his department's targeted neighborhoods. Staff - Elizabeth Billips

Three young men are paying big for standing around.

Barry Jenkins, 23, Kellington Chandler and LaBradford Brown, both 18, are staring at six months of probation each, plus a combined $2,600 in fines after Municipal Court Judge Percy Blount sentenced them for loitering.

They are the first in the Waynesboro Police Department's effort to round up young adults and teens causing problems in local neighborhoods - but according to Police Chief Karl E. Allen, they won't be the last.

"We've had an increasing number of calls about loitering in front of homes, around bus stops and on street corners," he said. "So we're issuing citations and asking for stiff fines."

That was the case with the young men in question, he said, after residents in the Washington Drive neighborhood reported they were drinking beer on the street and throwing cans in their yards.

Chief Allen said trouble typically begins with a cluster of teenagers standing around, often with younger kids on the fringes.

"Vandalism, gunshots, fighting, drinking, marijuana … basically criminal activity of all sorts," he said, listing off the recent reports associated with unchecked loitering. "It's been the worst on weekends and around the bus stops after school."

Officers say warmer weather and daylight savings could make matters even worse.

"We've got to send a message to offenders that this is not an offense to be taken lightly," Chief Allen said. While officers have been stepping up their presence in troubled areas, they say the public's help is needed to stay on top of things.

To report loitering in your neighborhood, contact the police dispatcher at 706-554-8029.