Amidst national calls for transparency and accountability in policing, the Fairfax County Police Department is launching a new interactive data dashboard.
The tool, which is based on Geographic Information System mapping, houses data related to arrests, citations, warnings, and police department training and policies. FCPD will debut the new platform at a series of virtual town halls beginning on Nov. 18.
“We look forward to implementing this additional layer of accountability and leveraging data analytics to continue to strengthen trust and confidence in your police department,” FCPD wrote in a statement.
The department says the tool was designed based on community input.
“Our new GIS-based data dashboards were designed with input from stakeholders and we will continue to. Have healthy discussions with each of you concerning police policies and operations in all communities,” FCPD Chief Edwin Roessler Jr. wrote in a letter to the community on Oct. 16.
A renewed focus on FCPD’s operations is expected in early 2021 when a team of researchers from the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) is expected to complete an academic analysis of FCPD’s data and its relationship to core operations today.
The review was initiated at the direction of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors and the county’s Independent Police Auditor.
Researchers at UTSA are studying the department’s culture after a study released in 2017 found that roughly 40 percent of all use-of-force incidents involve a Black individual.
Across the country, similar conversations about transparency in policing have resulted in reform and additional policy directives.
Recent arrest data released by the departments shows some evidence of disproportionate policing in the county. The data indicate that Black individuals make up roughly 39% of all arrests last year. Black residents account for 9.7% of the total population.
FCPD officers arrested 34,330 people in 2019, 57% of whom were white. White residents make up roughly 61% of the total population.
In 2017, a study found that roughly 40% of all use-of-force incidents involve a Black individual.
Roessler Jr. says his department is grateful for “the additional layer of accountability” provided by the data sets and the ongoing academic review.
“Together, we shall continue to leverage data analytics to build trust,” he said.
FCPD plans to host virtual town halls with district station commanders to discuss training and policies related to the data sets. The complete schedule, including links to the meetings, is below:
- Fair Oaks District – Nov. 18 https://bit.ly/3eJt3Uo
- West Springfield District – Nov. 24 https://bit.ly/3khd01i
- Sully District – Dec. 9 https://bit.ly/2JYG8y9
- Mount Vernon District – Dec. 16 https://bit.ly/3peB8Wb
- McLean District – Jan. 6 https://bit.ly/3kk4ZZz
- Mason District – Jan. 20 https://bit.ly/32tXLfi
- Reston District – Feb. 4 https://bit.ly/38vYDUG
- Franconia District – Feb. 17 https://bit.ly/3ncEVBy
All meetings will be recorded and released the public at a later date.
Image via FCPD, Fairfax County Government
A man suspected of robbing a Capital One Bank in McLean has been arrested in Maryland as part of a joint investigation between Fairfax County and Montgomery County police, the Montgomery County Department of Police announced today.
Montgomery County police have charged a suspect identified as Rockville resident Noel Omar Lorenzo, 41, with committing three armed bank robberies in Maryland between Sept. 25 and Oct. 15.
The Fairfax County Police Department confirmed that Lorenzo is also a suspect in its investigation of an Oct. 27 robbery of the Capital One Bank at 6890 Elm St. in McLean.
Police said that a man had entered the bank, implied that he had a weapon, and demanded money. He then left with cash, though the department has not specified how much. No injuries were reported.
Suspect from 10/27 McLean Capital One bank robbery arrested in Maryland after joint investigation with @mcpnews. https://t.co/IwJAvrgtnd #FCPD
— Fairfax County Police (@FairfaxCountyPD) November 10, 2020
According to the Montgomery County Police Department, FCPD detectives contacted its major crimes investigators on Oct. 28, saying that they believed the two departments were looking for the same suspect.
MCPD officers arrested Lorenzo on Nov. 4 around 11:10 a.m. at his residence and issued a criminal warrant charging him with three counts of armed robbery and firearm-related offenses. He is currently being held without bond in Montgomery County.
A search of Lorenzo’s vehicle turned up evidence from the Montgomery County and McLean bank robberies, including a BB gun that police believe to be the weapon he used, according to the MCPD.
Police have arrested five people after a robbery and assault in Tysons on Wednesday.
According to a police report, a group came into the Burlington (8355 Leesburg Pike), stole merchandise, and attacked an employee with pepper spray before fleeing in a sedan with a small child.
Police said officers tried to stop the car as it fled, but the driver refused and led police on a pursuit. Eventually, the car lost a tire and became disabled.
According to the report:
Officers took the occupants into custody including a small child who was not injured. Bryttany Richardson, 18, Jordan Jacobs, 20, Joylynn Queen, 22, and Gregory Parker, 25, all of Washington, D.C., were charged with robbery. Linda Pone, 50, of Washington, D.C., was charged with robbery, disregarding a police command to stop, possession with intent to distribute a schedule I/II narcotic, wanton child endangerment, and reckless driving.
Fairfax County Police Chief Col. Edwin C. Roessler Jr. will step down from his position early next year, the Fairfax County Police Department announced this morning (Thursday).
The FCPD says Roessler will retire after eight years as Fairfax County’s police chief effective February 2021 in order to transition the agency, which is the largest police department in Virginia, to a new generation of leadership.
The FCPD’s announcement confirms news that was first reported by Washington Post journalist Justin Jouvenal.
“The FCPD is blessed with women and men, past and present, who understand their noble calling in life and are deidcated to serving and protecting others,” Roessler said. “…Our county leaders, community and its great police department are positioned to continue to serve as a model for the next generation of policing in America.”
Roessler’s tenure with the Fairfax County Police Department spans more than three decades. First hired as a police recruit in 1989, he rose to the position of deputy chief before serving as interim Chief of Police in early 2013 to replace then-Chief David Rohrer, who had been promoted to deputy county executive for public safety in October 2012.
Roessler was officially appointed as Fairfax County’s police chief by the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors in July 2013.
Roessler became police chief as the FCPD was facing increased scrutiny by county officials and community members after a Fairfax County police officer shot and killed Springfield resident John Geer in August 2013.
After the Board of Supervisors established an independent Ad Hoc Police Practices Review Commission to examine the FCPD’s policies and relationship to the community it serves, Roessler oversaw the implementation of many of the commission’s recommendations, including the creation of a body-worn camera program, the establishment of a civilian review panel and independent police auditor, and modifications to the department’s use-of-force policy.
The FCPD also started a Chief’s Diversity Council and worked with county leaders and community advocates through the Fairfax County Communities of Trust Committee, which was formed in 2015 by then-Board of Supervisors Chairman Sharon Bulova and led by then-Fairfax County NAACP President Shirley Ginwright.
Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay thanked Roessler for “his years of service to Fairfax County and his dedication to protecting our county,” emphasizing Roessler’s efforts to work with the board to implement reforms “that have solidified the police department as a leader in transparency and community trust.”
“I know I join many in wishing the Chief continued good health and success in his next chapter,” McKay said. “I look forward to beginning the search for his successor and continuing to build on our successes in Fairfax County.”
Photo via Fairfax County
Updated at 9:45 a.m. on 11/4/2020 — The Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department says the vehicle crash on Hunter Mill Road at Water Falls Lane in Vienna involved a dump truck that rolled down an embankment. Crews responded to the incident at approximately 1:18 p.m. yesterday (Tuesday).
Updated at 2:15 p.m. on 11/3/2020 — Fairfax County police say Hunter Mill Road has now reopened.
A vehicle crash that occurred before 2 p.m. today shut down Hunter Mill Road at Water Falls Lane in the Wolf Trap area of Vienna.
While the incident is still under police investigation, Fairfax County police spokesperson Tara Gerhard says that the crash involved a single vehicle, possibly a truck that turned over on the road. One person has been taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
The crash has closed Hunter Mill Road in both directions, and the Fairfax County Police Department is advising drivers to find an alternate route.
“It looks like the road is going to be tied up for a little while,” Gerhard said.
TRAFFIC ALERT: Hunter Mill Road is closed in both directions at Water Falls Lane in Vienna due to a crash. Please use an alternate route. #FCPD pic.twitter.com/biPsfNOGew
— Fairfax County Police (@FairfaxCountyPD) November 3, 2020
Joining the annuls of small, bizarre Vienna police reports, police were called out to a 7-11 in Vienna after a customer reported that he’d been struck — a tragic victim caught in the crossfire in an act of senseless violence between two Febreze-spraying vandals.
The incident reportedly occurred at the 7-11 at 537 Maple Avenue West at 10:16 p.m. on Oct. 22.
According to the police report:
Officers responded to the report of an assault. A customer reported that two juveniles were spraying Fabreeze [sic] in the store and some of the spray landed on him, which led to a verbal dispute. The customer then attempted to block the cash register while the juveniles made their purchase.
However, officers responding to the assault call found that customer may not have, in fact, been hit in a premeditated attack.
“Officers determined that juveniles did not intentionally spray the customer and that no assault occurred,” the report said.
Another item in this week’s police report was damage to political signs in residential yards. At least two instances of yard signs being stolen were reported at different locations across Vienna. A sign was also reported damaged last week, and another sign was spray-painted and left with notes containing profanity earlier this month.
Juan Vazquez, public information officer with the Vienna Police Department, said it’s not uncommon to see these sorts of acts in election years. The incidents are generally grouped under larceny or go unreported.
Photo via Google Maps
Amid a year where national policing reforms were brought into the spotlight, Fairfax County is reviewing a suite of changes at a local level to improve police accountability.
At a Public Safety Committee Meeting, Chairman Rodney Lusk presented an overview of proposed changes in what was described as possible changes rather than new policies set into stone.
Near term considerations included improved data collection to improve accuracy, with ethnicity and a breakdown of arrest data included in documentation. Data would be released quarterly.
One of the other practices that’s come under fire nationally is the firing and immediate re-hiring of police officers across jurisdictions. One proposed change would crack down on that as part of a statewide push to make decertification easier.
“Consider and discuss implementation of state legislation related to the decertification of law enforcement officers who have been terminated or resigned for misconduct and the request and disclosure of information for prospective law-enforcement hires,” the input matrix said.
While many of the items items being considered focused on more transparency and restrictions on police, another item being considered was a review of how to boost morale in the police department, which Lusk said was at an all time low.
The committee also considered some mid-term options, like reviewing regulations around school resource officers and a review of Fairfax County Police Department use of force policies. with more data about the racial distribution of arrests, another mid-term goal was reviewing racial disparities in use of force and arrests.
“These are public suggestions… not approved by the board,” said Fairfax County Board chair Jeff McKay. “This is a parking lot of ideas that have come through your office and now must be adjudicated by this board based on data and conversations… Some of these will go off to other committees.”
Image via Fairfax County
A Capital One Bank in McLean was robbed Tuesday afternoon, Fairfax County police reported at 2:20 p.m.
Officers from the Fairfax County Police Department are currently on the scene at 6890 Elm St.
The department says the suspect is believed to be a white man who was last seen on foot. He is reportedly 5’9″ and wearing white ballcap and dark clothing.
Our officers are on scene of a bank robbery at the Capital One Bank, 6890 Elm St. in McLean. Suspect believed to be a white male, 5’9”, white ballcap, wearing dark clothing, last seen on foot. Please avoid the area. #FCPD pic.twitter.com/ltchNnrACn
— Fairfax County Police (@FairfaxCountyPD) October 27, 2020
Hoar Construction will build the Town of Vienna Police Department’s new station.
Headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., with an office in Vienna, the construction company beat out four other bidders for a $13.2 million contract to construct the planned police facility, which was awarded by the Vienna Town Council yesterday (Monday).
Town staff recommended that Hoar Construction receive the contract because it was the “lowest responsive and responsible bidder” with a total base bid of $13.2 million.
“After doing background research on the company and learning who is on their team, we found that not only does Hoar have a depth of construction experience, their members also are part of this community,” Vienna Police Chief Jim Morris said in a news release announcing the award. “They have experience in this area and are involved in and around Vienna.”
The proposals from the five finalists all fell in the $13 million to $15 million range, according to a bid tabulation released by the Town of Vienna.
Vienna first issued a request for qualified contractors for its new police station project in April. The 11 submissions that the town got were evaluated by project managers with the consulting firm Downey & Scott and narrowed down to six possible general contractors.
One of the six companies that were singled out ultimately did not submit a bid during the bidding period, which concluded on Oct. 9.
In the works since at least 2013, Vienna’s new police station will replace the existing facility that was erected at 215 Center Street South in 1994. The new building will be 28,500 square feet in size with two floors on an approximately 1.5-acre site, according to the town’s invitation for bids.
In addition to providing space for storage, training, and a firing range, among other department utilities, the new police station will have 1,500 square feet of space designed to serve community needs, including a Town of Vienna emergency operations center, cable broadcasting, overflow for public meetings, and even a potential voting location.
Though some community members objected to the project this summer amid nationwide protests urging municipalities to “defund the police,” the Town of Vienna has no intention of delaying or halting its plans for the new police station, which is being funded with $14.9 million from bonds issued in March.
Councilmember Chuck Anderson, who was elected to the council in May, noted that he was wary of supporting the construction of a new police station at a time when the COVID-19 pandemic has created a national economic crisis and the Black Lives Matter movement has drawn renewed attention to police violence against black people.
However, Anderson says he was persuaded that a new station is necessary after talking to Morris and looking at the existing facility.
“I heard his intelligence and passion for community policing and for the right kind of approach to difficult issues,” Anderson said of Morris. “Chief, you got my vote, but I’m going to hold you to it. I really want you to take those community areas that I think may have started out as kind of a carrot but have taken a whole new role in the current age and use them creatively so that we in Vienna become a beacon for other jurisdictions for how to do policing and how to do it right.”
Morris told the town planning commission on Oct. 14 that construction is expected to start in December, though the town now says that construction will likely begin in early 2021 and last 18-24 months.
The police department will work out of a temporary facility in the former Faith Baptist Church at 301 Center Street S. until the new station is completed.
Image via Town of Vienna
Vienna Police arrested a man in Maryland for a sexual assault in Vienna last month.
According to a press release, Vienna Police officers and members of the U.S. Marshals Service arrested Saul Alberto Garay-Amaya in Mount Rainier, Maryland, at 5:30 a.m. yesterday (Thursday) morning.
This arrest resulted from a lengthy and thorough investigation by Vienna Police detectives after receiving information that Garay-Amaya had “sexually assaulted a female victim last month,” police said. “Garay-Amaya has been charged with several felonies, including Sexual Assault and Abduction.”
MPO Juan Vazquez said the investigation was still ongoing and couldn’t reveal more information about the case. Vazquez credited Detective Tina Elias, a 20-year-veteran of the Vienna Police Department, for her work on the investigation.
Photo via Vienna Police Department
