Neighborhood Watch

By Chuck Foster

On June 26, I attended a Community Advisory Council meeting (CAC), which is a forum organized by the Fairfax County Police Department (FCPD). The guest speaker for the evening was the Chief of Police, Kevin Davies. He provided a large amount of very interesting information. What follows is a summary of the topics the Chief discussed.

Real-Time Crime Center

The Real-Time Crime Center (RTCC) opened in May. The RTCC is a physical location that centralizes police technology and data. The purpose is to shorten the time it takes to locate and arrest dangerous offenders, provide better insight into critical incidents, and increase officer safety. FCPD is partnering with area jurisdictions as they build their own RTCCs to increase regional awareness of crime and build collaborative responses.     

Teen Police Academy

The most recent police academy for teens was held the week of July 15.

National Night Out

The annual event that recognizes each community’s commitment to crime prevention and neighborhood safety occurred on August 6.

Officer of the Month

Master Police Officer (MPO) Jenette Post was awarded “officer of the month” for June. MPO Post is the crime prevention officer serving Reston. 

Flock Safety Systems

Flock Safety Systems is a company that offers communities video and audio recording systems that allow the subscriber to share the data directly with their local police department. FCPD is an enthusiastic partner and supporter of Flock Safety Systems. The technology provides video images, license plate reading (LPR), and gunshot detector/locator. For example, the LPR will alert the police to a stolen vehicle that is entering or exiting a community. Currently, 130 communities in the county use Flock Systems to partner with the police.

Crime Trends

Crime trends in the county are positive, including violent crime. FCPD is utilizing the “gold standard” for de-escalation training. The last officer-involved shooting occurred in 2023. The eight homicides this year were all closed by arrest. Traffic (speed) enforcement is being targeted with a campaign called ‘Road Shark.” One judge recently remarked that he has never seen the number of cases with speed in excess of 100 mph. Officer training (pilot) now includes 40+ intensive scenarios utilizing virtual reality. Officers are spending more time out of their cars interacting with the community. The Civil Defense Unit (CDU) has been frequently dispatched this year with some incidents (e.g., protests) located outside the homes of Supreme Court Justices.           

Challenges

Fentanyl is a serious problem. One hundred percent of the supply is being manufactured outside of the US. Retail crime continues to be a concern with organized gangs attacking retail stores with brazen methods and intimidating store employees. ABC liquor stores are frequent targets because of the way inventory is displayed. “Meet Ups” are a challenge as well. These involve a large number of modified vehicles gathering in parking lots to display dangerous maneuvers. Digital evidence is more frequently challenged in court as defense attorneys question authenticity. “Swatting” calls are occurring every week with the callers located overseas.    

Recruiting

Of the 254 police departments in Virginia, the FCPD is the largest. The department has 136 vacancies with an authorized headcount of 1,492. That is the lowest vacancy rate in three years. Collective-bargaining pay increases were implemented to retain senior officers, who have been retiring in large numbers. Recruiting numbers are very good with recent academies enrolling 50+ new recruits. The most recent class of recruits is majority-minority, and the majority of recruits have a four-year college degree. Twelve percent of police officers nationwide are women. Following the death of George Floyd and the onset of Covid, academy applications declined 63%.