The City of Falls Church should establish independent processes for reviewing use-of-force incidents involving police officers and sheriff’s deputies, a committee tasked with evaluating the community’s relationship with local law enforcement found.

In a report released on Feb. 10 and reviewed by the city council last night (Monday), the Falls Church Use of Force Review Committee recommended that the city create a citizen review board and identify an outside organization to manage internal affairs investigations by the City of Falls Church Police Department and Sheriff’s Office.

“The implementation of an independent review of use of force incidents will mitigate the potential risk inherent in the current system,” the committee said in its report. “An independent finding will not face the same level of legal challenges or public scrutiny because the process will be clear, the reviewers will not be in the officer’s supervisory chain, and the board will be transparent.”

The Virginia General Assembly passed legislation during its special session last year giving localities the authority to establish civilian bodies with oversight over local law enforcement agencies, though the law will not officially be effective until July 1.

If Falls Church pursues the review committee’s recommendations for independent oversight, it would follow in the steps of Fairfax County, which created an independent police auditor and civilian review panel in 2016 to evaluate select Fairfax County Police Department investigations.

The committee also recommends that the City of Falls Church allocate funds to increase staffing for the police department, noting that the agency has contained about 33 positions since the 1970s despite a roughly 56% rise in the city’s population in recent years, including a nearly 20% increase between 2010 and 2019.

In addition to adding more full-time officers, the report suggests hiring a full-time certified trainer who could help train police officers and sheriff’s deputies on use-of-force practices and procedures, bias reduction and restorative justice, and management of situations involving vulnerable populations, such as individuals with mental health challenges, people with disabilities, and non-English speakers.

The committee argues that failing to staff law enforcement and public safety agencies at levels commensurate to the population they serve “is a significant risk,” resulting in personnel who have less time to train and receive insufficient organizational support to perform their duties.

Other recommendations in the report include: Read More

A new bill could potentially significantly limit how long the Fairfax County Police Department and other state police departments can store data obtained through automated license plate readers (ALPRs).

As originally written, SB 1198 would bar police from storing data obtained by ALPRs for more than 30 days without a warrant or ongoing active investigation.

ALPRs can collect data and information like photos of license plates as well as a driver’s location at a particular date and time. They are often mounted on street poles, overpasses, or police square cars. A central server houses the data.

Privacy advocates and civil liberties organizations have criticized the technology for chilling First Amendment-protected activity and privacy concerns.

The Virginia State Supreme Court ruled late last year that police departments are allowed to keep this data “indefinitely,” no warrant or investigation needed. This came after a Fairfax County judge ruled otherwise in 2019, saying that the data collection was in violation of Virginia’s “Data Act.”

While some jurisdictions do purge this data relatively quickly, the Fairfax County Police Department does not.

Tysons Reporter’s affiliate site, Reston Now, has confirmed that FCPD stores information collected by ALPRs for up to a year.

Their reasoning is that the information helps protect the community and locate missing persons.

“Using technology such as license plate recognition has improved our ability to safeguard Fairfax County,” FCPD spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi told Reston Now in a statement. “With that, we have stringent systems in place to protect the information privacy and constitutional rights of those we serve. We appreciate efforts to further study this important issue because it’s paramount that we strike an equitable balance between data retention and investigational integrity.”

The state bill was introduced by State Sen. Chap Petersen who represents the 34th district, which covers Fairfax, Vienna, Oakton, and parts of Chantilly.

He introduced a similar bill back in 2014 and 2015, which limited storage of data to only seven days. That 2015 bill, which had bipartisan support, was vetoed by Governor Terry McAuliffe.

“License plate readers…capture the movement of vehicles. They track who’s attending a church service, who’s attending a political rally, a gun show,” Petersen told Reston Now. “It can be very arbitrary and very dangerous in that…it’s used to essentially put a layer of surveillance over citizens who are exercising their constitutional rights.” Read More

An Arlington resident who had been missing for several days was found dead yesterday (Wednesday) in Vienna near Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts, Fairfax County police confirmed to Tysons Reporter this morning.

Oscar Flores, 27, had been missing since Feb. 13. The Arlington County Police Department put out a call for public assistance in a search on Tuesday (Feb. 16), reporting that he had last been seen around 8 p.m. on Saturday in the area of the Dulles Toll Road and Wolf Trap.

“Police and family are concerned for his health and welfare,” the ACPD said.

Arlington County police reported yesterday that Flores had been found deceased in Fairfax County.

The Fairfax County Police Department told Tysons Reporter in a statement that, around 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Arlington police had requested one of its helicopters to assist in searching for Flores in the area surrounding the Dulles Toll Road.

The searchers located Flores “in an area off the roadway near Trap Road,” and he was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the FCPD.

FCPD Major Crimes Bureau detectives then responded to assume the death investigation.

“Preliminarily, they do not suspect foul play,” the FCPD said.

An autopsy to determine the cause of death is currently being conducted by Fairfax County’s Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, but the FCPD says that any information pertaining to the missing person’s investigation should be directed to Arlington County.

A Door Dash driver’s vehicle was stolen when he stopped at Wawa to pick up a delivery last week, the Vienna Police Department says in its latest round-up of notable criminal and suspicious incidents around town.

The driver told police that, around 12:35 a.m. on Feb. 4, he left his vehicle running in the Wawa parking lot at 465 Maple Ave. W while going inside to pick up a food order. While he was inside the convenience store, someone stole the vehicle.

The citizen waited “several minutes” before calling to report the incident, according to the police report.

Vienna police alerted surrounding jurisdictions to look out for the missing vehicle. Fairfax County police officers soon located the vehicle at Chain Bridge Road and Glengyle Drive just outside the Town of Vienna. The vehicle was unoccupied and still running.

“The citizen reported that a Play Station 4, a keyboard, and marijuana were missing from the vehicle,” the VPD report said. “The citizen did not wish to pursue charges and did not wish further investigation on the incident.”

More recently, Vienna police responded to a Feb. 9 report of an alarm going off around 9:23 p.m. at the CVS at 264 Cedar Lane SE.

Officers did not find anyone or notice anything suspicious when searching the store, but the alarm company said that surveillance cameras had captured video showing someone inside. The footage suggested that the last employee at the CVS had “closed and secured the store without realizing there was a customer inside.”

“The customer, who was observed on the camera, approached the register to make their purchase, realized there were no employees in the store, left the items they were going to purchase, and left the store,” the police report said.

McLean District police officers are now equipped with body-worn cameras after the Fairfax County Police Department recently rolled out the second phase of its program.

The FCPD announced yesterday (Monday) that it finished deploying body cameras to its McLean and Franconia District Stations last week, adding 218 trained and equipped camera operators to the county’s police force.

Dranesville District Supervisor John Foust welcomed the news of the program expansion in a statement to Tysons Reporter.

“I am pleased with the progress the Police Department is making toward full implementation,” Foust said. “While body worn cameras require a substantial initial investment and recurring cost, the cost is more than justified by the transparency and accountability the cameras provide.”

There are 132 sworn officers and 28 civilian staff members at the McLean District Station, which covers Merrifield, Dunn Loring, Falls Church, McLean, Tysons, and Great Falls. The Franconia District Station has approximately 140 officers and 30 civilians whose coverage area includes Annandale, Springfield, and Lorton.

The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors approved the creation of a body camera program for the entire police department in September 2019 after introducing the technology with a pilot program in 2018.

Expected to take three years for full implementation, the program’s first year saw cameras distributed to the Reston, Mason, and Mount Vernon District stations, where all officers have been trained and utilizing the cameras since the spring of 2020. Those stations had also been included in the original pilot.

Budget constraints resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic led the Board of Supervisors to initially delay funding for the body camera program’s second phase, which was previously supposed to include 338 cameras for the McLean, Sully, and West Springfield stations.

However, the board later moved to accelerate the program’s rollout in an effort to prioritize policing reform in light of nationwide protests following George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis, Minn., on May 25, 2020 and video of a Fairfax County police officer assaulting a Black man.

“As we have seen from many incidents across the country, these cameras are an indispensable tool for providing an accurate account of events that often are disputed by the parties involved,” Foust said. “Body worn cameras can protect our residents and our police officers by providing accurate accounts of police-civilian confrontations.”

Now aiming to introduce all 1,210 cameras in the program by the end of Fiscal Year 2021, the FCPD says it is coordinating scheduling to ensure that officers at the remaining Fair Oaks District, West Springfield District, and Sully District Stations are trained and equipped in the upcoming months.

The department is also working to expand the program to Animal Protection Police and parking enforcement officers as well as its special operations division and SWAT teams and the Diversion First initiative at the Merrifield Crisis Response Center.

The FCPD estimated in a presentation to the Board of Supervisors last June that it will cost a total of $4.5 million to implement the program’s second and third phases.

According to Jane Edmondson, the chief of staff for Foust’s office, the board identified net funding of $604,000 to cover the expansion of the body camera program as part of the FY 2021 budget carryover process. The program’s recurring impact is expected to be roughly $4.4 million, which must be incorporated in the FY 2022 budget.

County Executive Bryan Hill is scheduled to present his budget proposal on Feb. 23.

Photo via Fairfax County Police

Last week marked Interim Fairfax County Police Chief David M. Rohrer’s first days on the job.

According to Sergeant Hudson Bull of Fairfax County Police Department, Rohrer’s top priorities will be providing a smooth transition to the next police chief and ensuring “community safety.”

Responding directly to reports of low morale and continued skepticism of leadership among rank-and-file officers, Bull noted that the new interim chief is working to dispel this notion.

“Chief Rohrer wants to make sure that community members, county employees, and officers are confident in the leadership of the department,” Bull told Tysons Reporter’s affiliate site, Reston Now. “[He’s] focused on listening to officers and moving the department forward…Chief Rohrer is thankful for officers’ dedication and professionalism during these challenging times.”

FCPD declined requests for a phone interview with Rohrer, saying that Rohrer is focusing on “providing a smooth transition for the next chief of police.”

The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors selected Rohrer to take over for retiring Police Chief Edwin C. Roessler on Jan. 27.

This isn’t new territory for Rohrer. He previously served as the Fairfax County Police Department’s chief from 2004 to 2012, when he was promoted to deputy county executive overseeing public safety. In that position, he oversees the department, which consists of about 1,400 police officers, as well as the fire and rescue department and other county public safety agencies.

He will remain deputy county executive even as he takes on this new responsibility.

“I work closely with Deputy County Executive Rohrer on a daily basis and I could not be more confident in his ability to see the Police Department through this period while we search for a new chief,” Fairfax County Executive Bryan J. Hill wrote in a statement to The Washington Post late last month.

Rohrer’s personality and management style, in 2012, was described as deliberate, not “flamboyant,” and hard-working.

While Rohrer’s second tenure as police chief may be brief, it comes at a time when the department is in the midst of significant change.

During his eight years as chief, Roessler implemented nearly 200 reform efforts including body-worn cameras for all officers, a citizen review panel, de-escalation training, and a diversion program for people with mental health challenges. Much of this was done in the wake of the 2013 fatal police shooting of an unarmed Springfield man.

However, efforts to reform the FCPD has gotten some pushback from rank-and-file officers. That tension became particularly acute after an officer was arrested for assault over the summer for using a stun gun and unnecessary force on a Black man who did not appear to be combative.

FCPD spokesperson Sergeant Hudson Bull wrote to Reston Now that Rohrer is prioritizing continuing the county’s reputation as being safe.

“Chief Rohrer wants to focus on ensuring that our County remains one of the safest jurisdictions in the country by supporting our officers and remaining attentive to the needs of our community members,” he wrote.

Bull says Rohrer’s experience and institutional knowledge made him a perfect fit for this temporary job as a nationwide search for a permanent replacement for Roessler continues. The Board of Supervisors is expected to announce its selection in late March or early April.

“The Chief’s vast experience in public safety provides him with insight and knowledge to be able to make the best possible decisions regarding important public safety matters for our community,” Bull wrote. “His long tenure with Fairfax County gives him intimate knowledge of the public safety function that is provided within our county government.”

An employee of a Best Buy in Tysons was repeatedly stabbed during an argument on Wednesday (Feb. 3), Fairfax County police said today (Friday).

According to the police report, the worker was involved in a dispute with a man who stabbed them “multiple times before running away.” The encounter took place at 12:15 p.m. in the Best Buy located at 8449 Leesburg Pike.

Upon arriving at the scene, officers reportedly “located” a 25-year-old Maryland resident named Jose Reyes who was taken into custody and charged with malicious wounding.

“The victim was taken to the hospital with injuries that were not life threatening,” the Fairfax County Police Department said.

Photo via Google Maps

The Falls Church Use of Force Review Committee is nearly done compiling experiences and reviews of policies and investigations for a report on how police officers and sheriffs utilize force in their work.

The report is slated to go before the Falls Church City Council on Feb. 22 and will address the committee’s findings from pouring over 113 reports of uses of force by local law enforcement, nearly 400 community responses to a survey about experiences with officers, and the department’s policies governing the use of force.

It will also include 10 recommendations, ranging from procedural changes to community engagement.

The committee reviewed the results from the community survey, which drew 393 responses, last night (Wednesday).

“We would have loved to receive comments from every last citizen within the City of Falls Church,” Committee Chair Janis Johnson said during the meeting. “We did not, so we do appreciate those folks who were able to take time out to respond. It does inform the committee’s work and helps us validate some of our recommendations and discussions.”

The most-represented respondents were white women between the ages of 35 and 64, and 111 respondents identified as non-white or withheld their demographic information.

Committee vice chair Brian Creswick said the number of responses was encouraging, and neither the demographic percentages nor the distribution of answers surprised him. Broadly, he said the results of the survey mirror what the committee has found after reviewing policies and use of force reports.

“There was a generally positive view [of law enforcement],” he said. “I think there was a slightly more negative view among minority populations. I don’t want to editorialize whether it was significant or not — the numbers showed a decrease.”

Across the board, more than 96% of respondents said they had not experienced force by the Falls Church Police Department or sheriff’s department. Nearly 90% of respondents reported never seeing law enforcement use force, but among people of color and people who did not specify race — two groups that were combined in the committee’s data breakdown — the share was lower at around 77%.

About 10% of people of color/people who did not specify race said the police or deputies they interacted with displayed poor or very poor levels of professionalism. That was twice as high as when white people were included in the overall rate.

Around 85% of respondents said the police department and sheriff’s office keep the city safe. About 81% of people of color/unspecified race shared that sentiment.

Although nearly 400 people responded, the survey yielded 858 comments, which will be included in the report.

Some comments after the survey indicated feelings toward law enforcement that were not captured by the questionnaire responses. Committee members said the comments indicate some people of color feel targeted by law enforcement and perceive a sense of arrogance among officers.

Public representative Raymond Touomou cautioned against only looking at what the majority said because this group is “overwhelmingly white.”

“One of the best ways is to look at what the minorities think happened to them,” he said. “When I read the results, there were some things that are alarming, and transcend statistical significance…such as kids who report being harassed on their way to and from school.”

Public representative Toni Lewis said the group was intentional about reaching out to minority communities. Although she phoned apartment complexes and churches, she said that “as in many surveys and initiatives, we ran into the problem of engaging the usual suspects.”

“I’ll own that we could have made this better marketed,” she said.

Falls Church established the committee on June 12 after recent deaths of Black men and women at the hands of police, including George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery, fueled calls for action on racial justice issues.

The committee was set to go before the city council in December but requested an extension so it would have enough time to collect data and debrief the results of the city-wide survey with the community.

Staff photo by Jay Westcott

The Town of Vienna and the Vienna Police Department officially broke ground on the new police station at 215 Center Street S. on Friday morning (Jan. 29).

During the ceremony, Police Chief Jim Morris, Mayor Linda Colbert, Town Manager Mercury Payton, and the project’s architect, Rod Williams, focused on the features of the station aimed at bringing the community together and into conversations with the police department.

“I never thought this was going to be such a Vienna effort. I honestly thought this was going to be a police department issue. It has been anything but,” Morris told the crowd gathered there in spite of the wind and chill. “We’re not just building a station, we’re building something the town needs and can use for a long, long time.”

The project includes places for the community to meet and hold ceremonies that the current police department space cannot accommodate, the police chief said.

Colbert, who reemphasized the connection between Vienna’s safety and its police department, recalled that the effort to build a new station dates back to when her mother was mayor. She lauded the support the project has received since then.

“I’m so proud that [our current council] has been so supportive of the police and the police station,” she said. “We need this police station for so many reasons: It will be more equitable to female officers, more environmentally friendly, and it will be safer and more secure and community-friendly.”

Payton said the station will “be a place all of our residents can come and enjoy,” while Williams — the architect — expressed hope that the building inspires the 41 sworn officers and 11 civilians who will be working there.

At approximately 30,000 square feet in size, the new facility will have space for a firing range, evidence storage, processing, and training, as well as more locker room for female officers. It also makes room for spaces 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.

In October, Vienna chose Hoar Construction as the contractor for the project after it pitched a total base bid of $13.2 million. The project is being funded with $14.9 million from bonds issued in March 2020.

Vienna stuck with the project despite objections from some community members amid nationwide protests and calls to defund the police.

The civil unrest and calls for reforms prompted more conversations among the department, the town, and the public, Morris told Tysons Reporter after the ceremony.

“We met with the mayor and some of these groups and asked them to tell us what they’re looking for,” he said. “We sat down…and talked with them, and I think some good came out of it.”

While the new building is under construction, the department is operating out of the former Faith Baptist Church next door. The Town of Vienna purchased the three-acre church property for $5.5 million in September to convert it into a public facility.

Winter Weather Advisory in Effect Until 10 A.M. — The D.C. area could experience light freezing rain and ice accumulations up to an inch this morning. Travelers should expect slippery road conditions, slow down, and use caution. [National Weather Service]

Fairfax County Police Chief Retires — Edwin C. Roessler officially retires today after leading the Fairfax County Police Department for eight years. He oversaw key reforms, such as the creation of a civilian review board and the introduction of body-worn cameras, but some officers reported “a disconnect” with department leaders on issues like discipline, compensation, communications and promotions. Deputy County Executive for Public Safety Dave Rohrer is now serving as interim chief as a search for a permanent successor continues. [The Washington Post]

Falls Church Nonprofit Theater Gets Permanent Home — “After a tumultuous six-year journey, Creative Cauldron will have a new home, thanks to the hard work and tenacity of Insight Property Group and the City to bring the best possible project to the Broad and Washington Crossroads.” [Falls Church News-Press]

McLean Art Teacher Finds Success with Zoom Classes — “[Pamela] Saunders, a mom of two who has taught in McLean since 2004, typically teaches classes at Brooksfield School, Chesterbrook Elementary, Franklin Sherman Elementary and Kent Gardens Elementary. But once the pandemic hit, she moved from the classroom to Zoom so students could continue art lessons while staying home.” [Patch]

Photo by Craig Fingar