Police Have List Of Nuisances to Tackle
By GABE WELLSArticle Photos
WHEELING - The Wheeling Police Department is now engaged in a city-wide effort to prevent those crimes that increase as the skies clear and the temperatures rise.
On Friday, Wheeling Police Chief Kevin Gessler said a prostitution sting that netted seven arrests Thursday in Center Wheeling is only part of a "directed patrol" effort to target the illegal activities that traditionally coincide with the arrival of summer.
In addition to prostitution, Gessler said those illegal activities include the sale and use of drugs, public drunkenness, underage consumption of alcohol, disorderly conduct and noise violations. He said his officers have had planning sessions for at least the past three weeks in preparation for the effort. The chief said the directed patrols were initiated May 22, and speeding was the first crime specifically targeted by Wheeling officers.
Gessler said the current enforcement efforts will continue for weeks. Thursday's prostitution sting focused on Center Wheeling, but prostitution stings may be conducted in East Wheeling and on Wheeling Island as well, according to the chief.
Gessler said "quality-of-life violations," such as excessive noise and disorderly conduct, will be targeted throughout Wheeling, but officers will pay special attention to Wheeling Island, East Wheeling and all city playgrounds. Officers will look at facilities and areas where there are lot of calls for service.
Gessler noted said that two city "clubs" and a "residential facility" also are of interest to the Wheeling Police Department. He said those places could be targeted by Wheeling's nuisance ordinance.
"There are three specific locations that we are collecting info on for past calls for service," Gessler said. "We are looking at the conditions of the locations and seeing if the current activity is consistent with the past. Two of them are licensed premises."
The chief said the current "directed patrol" effort is to ensure that "nuisance crimes" do not ruin summer activities for law-abiding Wheeling residents.
"This is when everyone is going to enjoy the good weather and wonderful activities in the community," Gessler said. "We aren't going to let the nuisances bother the good folks.
"There will be a strong (police) presence in the next few weeks," he added. "At the ballfields, they'd better not pull out a cooler and start opening beers."
Gessler said Thursday's prostitution sting was held from 7:30-10:30 p.m. in Center Wheeling in the areas of 20th and Main streets. He said the men were arrested after allegedly offering to pay an undercover city officer for sex.
Gessler said the sting operation was an important effort because prostitution is a criminal activity commonly associated with drugs and violent crime. He said it also is a health concern.
"Without a doubt, it's a nuisance," Gessler said. "This time of year, after Memorial Day, there is warmer weather and more people active. Three weeks ago there was a meeting with the command officers. We sent out officers to pretty much make an assessment of the neighborhoods, and then we had a plan of action. ... It (prostitution) won't be tolerated."
Six of the seven men arrested were transported to the Northern Regional Jail. One of them was issued a citation and released. The men arrested on a charge of soliciting for prostitution were:
- Charles Leach, 61, of Moundsville
- John Miller, 38, of Beech Bottom
- Dallas Croasmun, 55, of Waynesburg, Pa.
- Gery Gruber, 57, of Wheeling
- Ronald Pattison, 69, of Wheeling and Fort Myers, Fla.
- Brian Lee Irwin, 24, of Moundsville
- Brian Lee White, 25, of Moundsville
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RedEye
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06-01-09 6:35 PM
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friendlycity, see you at the station. 8-4 shift or delta? I'm sure bashing the police has NOTHING to do with them calling blacks the 'N word' and them putting sunglasses on and going to sleep (and you know who I mean!). I truly respect Police Officers and realize what dangers they face, however, Wheeling wouldn't have half the problems and half the aforementioned danger if they actually did their job instead of being lazy. p.s. you don't seem very friendly for 'friendlycity'
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CTMountaineer
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05-31-09 10:29 PM
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All this publicity might be a little over the top. I know in one case the individual went from being feated at a dinner in his honor (not that he necessarily deserved it) at the Civic Center to the photo lineup. It was a dumb thing to do, but really, do the names need to be plastered all over the world like this?
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friendlycity
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05-31-09 8:52 PM
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EllisWyatt, are you kidding me? Whats wrong did your wife divorce you and take you to the cleaners? With justification like yours, I can understand why. As for the rest of you, obviously some are well known to the police. (criminals) That is why the same people are on these blogs bashing the police all of the time. Everybody knows PCGS70 and his background, guess the rest of you are friends of his, and just hide behind such clever screen names. Thejoker - you are a joke. Maybe you'll go back to jail with the next batch of arrests and the community will be much better off.
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rover1958
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05-31-09 6:12 PM
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There is something about this whole story that doesn't seem to ring true. Wheeling has so many criminal issues this highly publicized story seems like directing a water pistol at a 3 alarm fire. Could it be the city government must show they are 'tough on crime' to get in on grabbing some Federal Economy Stimulus funds for new equipment, hires, or such? Locking up half a dozen local guys with mug shots and a big to-do somehow seems odd.
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EllisWyatt
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05-31-09 4:30 PM
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Is there really any difference between a hooker and a woman who dates a man, say, a doctor, for his money? Actually, there is. The hooker is honest. She quotes a price for a service. You agree or decline. You are in and out, excuse the pun, with no strings attached. Marrying a woman who wants you for your money usually ends up with you giving her half of what you have, plus alimony. You are better off with the hooker. That said, why is the Wheeling PD all of a sudden deciding to "crack down"? Where were they before? Do they only enforce the law during certain times or did the kickbacks dry up due to the economic crisis? Perhaps the sinners have been asked to increase the payments and have refused. Who knows?
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EllisWyatt
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05-31-09 4:26 PM
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Joanie What you say may be true with regard to the street walkers in Center and South Wheeling. However, there are many high class prostitutes for whom their job is a way to pay the bills, college tuition, etc. Not all hookers are in it for the drugs and I have never heard of a john getting with a prostitute to score drugs. Since the city seems to tolerate drug dealing, prostitution and large gangs of people hanging out at 7/11 and harassing citizens, as well as corruption among certain politicians and their cronies and legalized gambling, why not permit "prostitution zones"? If two parties enter into a voluntary agreement, without any threats or force, why should they not be permitted to consumate said agreement? We allow gambling, which is also morally wrong. We should permit prostitution to ensure that it is relatively disease free, and free of violence and embarassment, not to mention the taxes we can collect.
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RedEye
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05-31-09 3:47 PM
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thejoker, sadly you are mostly correct. Nobody wants to talk about it, possibly so the Chief can leave in good standing. However, he's trying to cause chaos internally in the department, so why should he get all this glory? He's a horrible chief and I'm tired of people trying to cover for him...especially those who do not know him (or at least they THINK they know him).
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Joanie1982
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05-31-09 2:07 PM
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Libby, where there is prostitution, there is drug activity, and where there is drug activity, there are guns. (Men aren't looking for just sex from the prostitutes, and the prostitutes many times will take drugs in payment. They also act as low level dealers.) Personally, I think there needs to be some looking into the bars around the 7-11 at 14th and Market as being nuisance bara, as this area seem to be getting rougher every day, and the prostitutes, pimps, dealers, and users are going out earlier and earlier in the day, and really get going starting 4-5pm whereas before they at least waited til buses stoped. I know for a fact that one of these bars is a hotbed for illegal activity, as I was told this to my face, but I have seen people hop across the street there, going from bar to bar, so I believe the illegal activity happens in all these bars. Downtown Wheelin has become like a mini mall for drugs & prostitution. The alcohol is only the starting point.
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JMorgan
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05-30-09 8:51 PM
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I had no idea that prostitution was only a "seasonal" activity. But probably Sen. Dave "the diaper" Vitter (R-LA) would concur.
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Libbyd
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05-30-09 7:11 PM
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Prostitution in Wheeling is as old as Wheeling. Why can't the WPD do their job and catch CRIMINALS? This is a disgrace and I actually feel sorry for the men whose lives may now be ruined by this senseless expose'. Every day the Wheeling news reveals REAL crimes involving GUNS and DRUGS.That is what is keeping people from returning to live in Wheeling and is driving others out.
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jerrrrrry
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05-30-09 5:15 PM
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"you can please all the people some of the time, and some of the people all the time, but you cannot please all the people all the time"
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billybob
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05-30-09 3:48 PM
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Typical lip service again and again. Easy to pick hooker trade and do nothing for years on drug trade. Easier for city to handcuff legal resident with extra and fake taxes than enforce even the dangerous dog laws, or even the disturbing of the peace cars all night. Just remember don't have one beer and drive into the drunk roadblock. I just had a thought, strange, maybe tracks looking to get in a new line to boost sales! Is that our future? Legal gambling alone hasn't panned out except to legal crooks!
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popeye
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05-30-09 11:08 AM
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The dealers and prostitutes walk by the police (7-Eleven) every night.
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PCGS70
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05-30-09 10:46 AM
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Wheeling's nuisance ordinance? Most of the prostitution, drugs and violent crimes happen 4 blocks from the police station. The WPD can't even keep their own street free of crime. I don't expect them to reduce crime in ANY area. WPD is a joke.
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popeye
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05-30-09 10:16 AM
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Here comes the gestapo.
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AlexanderShulgin
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05-30-09 8:25 AM
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"At the ballfields, they'd better not pull out a cooler and start opening beers." Brilliant! However, openly selling drugs , using them in abandoned building which may be set on fire by such activity, and prostitution under rout 2 and 18th st in e wheeling has been going on for years. Apparently it all stems from those criminal masterminds who drink a beer at a ball game? I have respect for the police, but WTF, are they seriously trying to rid the city of real crime?
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AlexanderShulgin
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05-30-09 8:20 AM
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Wheeling was built on the backs of hard working whores. Who cares? A very good argument could be made to suggest that marriage and such is a form of prostitution. How many women would stay with a guy who does not give them anything? Legalized whores - wheeling would be much better off, and maybe we would actually get some decent looking ones too.
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boxerboy
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05-30-09 8:00 AM
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Legalize, license and regulate. That's the modern approach to managing adult entertainment. Two good models to use as examples of how a potential problem can be mitigated are legalized gambling (read, gaming), and the A.B.C.C. After all, it's only a vice if it's treated as such.
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