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Virginia Beach implementing task force recommendations for College Beach Weekend

The Oceanfront Task Force conducted interviews and discussions related to concerns about the annual event and its potential impact on the city's reputation and sense of community.

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WVEC) -- The recommendations of a task force will help guide the way the city approaches College Beach Weekend this year and in years to come.

The event, which takes place each April, has had its share of violent crimes in the past, including shootings and murders.

The recommendations are outlined in Improving Our City's Reputation & Our Sense of Community: A Report on the Findings of Virginia Beach Vision's Oceanfront Task Force.

Residents, community leaders, and business owners were part of the task force which arrived at its recommendations through interviews and discussions.

City Manager Dave Hansen said in a letter that accompanied the report sent to Virginia Beach City Council that the task force's recommendations were meant to improve "reciprocal benefits during the annual event now referred to as College Beach Weekend."

Hansen went on to say that many of the suggestions "are currently being planned and will be implemented this year."

Report from Virginia Beach Vision's Oceanfront Task Force by 13News Now on Scribd

The opening sentence of the report's executive summary states: "The Oceanfront Task Force was initiated by Virginia Beach Vision (VISION) because there is widespread belief among citizens and leaders that our city's reputation and sense of community is at risk due to the annual outbreak of violence and other disruptive behaviors that have occurred every year for the past twenty years during the month of April on or about week 17."

The summary goes on to say that most of the visitors to the Oceanfront during College Beach Weekend are young African Americans, and that fact has fueled resentment among some business owners and residents who focus on the race of the visitors.

In its interviews and conversations, the task force found that many African Americans who are part of the local community don't think Virginia Beach is welcoming of minorities, especially black people, to the Oceanfront.

The summary explains: "Consequently, we believe this annual occurrence has wreaked havoc upon the city's ability to move forward and consider new ideas and alternative solutions."

The report states that roughly half of the more than 30,000 people who attend College Beach Weekend are, in fact, college students.

Shootings, offensive language, and "public displays of sex" contribute to a perceived lack of safety for many residents, business owners, and visitors. Task force members found that perception to be a "critical concern" because it can be detrimental to Virginia Beach's reputation as a family tourist destination which can affect the city's bottom line and ability to grow.

The task force concluded that College Beach Weekend has a negative impact for many people who experience the event, and that the "feeling of being unsafe is real." The task force members found, however, the for the tourist season as whole the single weekend has not changed the views of 90 percent of the visitors who come to Virginia Beach.

The task force still said it was "important to continue to develop solutions to eradicate any potentially damaging practices and behaviors."

Recommendations made by the task force covered ways to manage capacity, manage the crowds, communicate effectively, and manage communications internally and externally.

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