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Charlottesville officers are scrutinizing potential suspects better, chief says
BY CARLOS SANTOS
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER Jun 5, 2004
GOT A TIP?
Anyone with information can call Crime Stoppers at (434) 977-4000 or the Charlottesville police at (434) 970-3280.
CHARLOTTESVILLE - City police have requested a DNA sample from only one black man in the two months since it overhauled its dragnet for a serial rapist.
Police had approached 187 black men in Charlottesville between November and mid-April and requested voluntary DNA samples before an outcry from the black community, the American Civil Liberties Union and others led to tightened procedures. The controversy
received national attention.
Critics contended the earlier DNA dragnet was too broad, was a form of racial harassment, and had embarrassed and intimidated innocent black men into giving the samples.<
br>
"Greater scrutiny is now being take
n on whether to do the initial approach," Police Chief Timothy J. Longo said. "I haven't really had any complaints. . . . I think for the most part that the community is pleased with the common ground we've reached."
"Everybody clearly wants to catch this guy," said the Rev. Doctor Bruce Beard, pastor of the Transformation Ministries - First Baptist Church. "The concern is how to do that without causing divide within the community," said Beard, who is black. "It seems to be working pretty well. . . . We'll continue to keep watch.
"I think the chief is a man of his word."
Longo said police have a handful of high-priority suspects who have been approached twice for DNA sampl
es but who have declined both times.
Originally, police officers were stopping black men based on broad criteria, such as tips from anonymous callers, suspicious activity or a resemblance to
a co
mposite sketch made of the rapist.
Under new procedures, police officers are passing information to detectives who d
o background checks on suspects before a decision is made on whether to ask for a DNA sample. The samples are taken quickly by swabbing inside the cheek.
Detectives are now looking at a suspect's background, including any sex offenses, his physical appearance, the credence of the tip that led to the investigation, and the suspect's whereabouts during the rapes.
In the case of the one black man who was approached at the end of May, however, the decision was made to immediately ask for his DNA because he was in a prime "hot zone" for the rapist and was acting suspicious in the early morning hours, city police Sgt. Ralph Barfield said. The hot zone is the Univer
sity of Virginia area. The man complied, and his DNA is being tested at the state forensics lab, Barfield said.
"We approached him based on the circumstances . . . where he was a
nd the t
ime of day," Barfield said. "We have to do our job. . . . He was cooperative."
Longo said, "The fact we have only approached one person shouldn't
suggest we've backed away from the process but that we're being more thoughtful."
Longo said he does not believe the investigation of the rapist - who last struck in April 2003 - was hampered by the DNA dragnet. "If I thought it jeopardized the investigation, I absolutely wouldn't have done this," Longo said.
Critics who spoke at one community meeting about the dragnet also had questioned the police practice of keeping the samples that did not match that of the rapist. Barfield said that the samples would be incinerated Monday by a private company and that Longo would be there.
Barfield said ni
ne DNA samples were still being tested at the state forensics lab.
"It's been very frustrating" trying to capture the rapist, Longo said. "I've got to t
hink the per
son is still part of our community."
The rapist has assaulted six women in the area since 1997 and is suspected in six other attacks that occurred around U.Va. in 2002. His trademark is a swift, surprise attack involving blows to
the head. He also has used phrases during his attacks, including, "OK, I'm happy now. I can leave," and, "Don't be calling the police now, ya hear?"
http://www.timesdispatch.com/servlet/Satel...s=1045855934842
Charlottesville officers are scrutinizing potential suspects better, chief says
BY CARLOS SANTOS
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER Jun 5, 2004
GOT A TIP?
Anyone with information can call Crime Stoppers at (434) 977-4000 or the Charlottesville police at (434) 970-3280.
CHARLOTTESVILLE - City police have requested a DNA sample from only one black man in the two months since it overhauled its dragnet for a serial rapist.
Police had approached 187 black men in Charlottesville between November and mid-April and requested voluntary DNA samples before an outcry from the black community, the American Civil Liberties Union and others led to tightened procedures. The controversy
received national attention.
Critics contended the earlier DNA dragnet was too broad, was a form of racial harassment, and had embarrassed and intimidated innocent black men into giving the samples.<
br>
"Greater scrutiny is now being take
n on whether to do the initial approach," Police Chief Timothy J. Longo said. "I haven't really had any complaints. . . . I think for the most part that the community is pleased with the common ground we've reached."
"Everybody clearly wants to catch this guy," said the Rev. Doctor Bruce Beard, pastor of the Transformation Ministries - First Baptist Church. "The concern is how to do that without causing divide within the community," said Beard, who is black. "It seems to be working pretty well. . . . We'll continue to keep watch.
"I think the chief is a man of his word."
Longo said police have a handful of high-priority suspects who have been approached twice for DNA sampl
es but who have declined both times.
Originally, police officers were stopping black men based on broad criteria, such as tips from anonymous callers, suspicious activity or a resemblance to
a co
mposite sketch made of the rapist.
Under new procedures, police officers are passing information to detectives who d
o background checks on suspects before a decision is made on whether to ask for a DNA sample. The samples are taken quickly by swabbing inside the cheek.
Detectives are now looking at a suspect's background, including any sex offenses, his physical appearance, the credence of the tip that led to the investigation, and the suspect's whereabouts during the rapes.
In the case of the one black man who was approached at the end of May, however, the decision was made to immediately ask for his DNA because he was in a prime "hot zone" for the rapist and was acting suspicious in the early morning hours, city police Sgt. Ralph Barfield said. The hot zone is the Univer
sity of Virginia area. The man complied, and his DNA is being tested at the state forensics lab, Barfield said.
"We approached him based on the circumstances . . . where he was a
nd the t
ime of day," Barfield said. "We have to do our job. . . . He was cooperative."
Longo said, "The fact we have only approached one person shouldn't
suggest we've backed away from the process but that we're being more thoughtful."
Longo said he does not believe the investigation of the rapist - who last struck in April 2003 - was hampered by the DNA dragnet. "If I thought it jeopardized the investigation, I absolutely wouldn't have done this," Longo said.
Critics who spoke at one community meeting about the dragnet also had questioned the police practice of keeping the samples that did not match that of the rapist. Barfield said that the samples would be incinerated Monday by a private company and that Longo would be there.
Barfield said ni
ne DNA samples were still being tested at the state forensics lab.
"It's been very frustrating" trying to capture the rapist, Longo said. "I've got to t
hink the per
son is still part of our community."
The rapist has assaulted six women in the area since 1997 and is suspected in six other attacks that occurred around U.Va. in 2002. His trademark is a swift, surprise attack involving blows to
the head. He also has used phrases during his attacks, including, "OK, I'm happy now. I can leave," and, "Don't be calling the police now, ya hear?"
http://www.timesdispatch.com/servlet/Satel...s=1045855934842