FAIRFAX COUNTY POLICE DEPARTMENT
2020 ANNUAL REPORT COLONEL KEVIN DAVIS CHIEF OF POLICE
FAIRFAX COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS CHAIRMAN, AT-LARGE
MASON, VICE CHAIRMAN
BRADDOCK
MOUNT VERNON
JEFFREY C. MCKAY
PENELOPE A. GROSS
JAMES R. WALKINSHAW
DANIEL G. STORCK
DRANESVILLE
PROVIDENCE
JOHN W. FOUST
DALIA A. PALCHIK
HUNTER MILL
SPRINGFIELD
LEE
SULLY
WALTER L. ALCORN
RODNEY L. LUSK
1 FAIRFAX COUNTY POLICE DEPARTMENT 2020 ANNUAL REPORT
PAT HERRITY
KATHY L. SMITH
2020 ANNUAL REPORT FAIRFAX COUNTY POLICE DEPARTMENT 2
TABLE OF CONTENTS 6
MESSAGE FROM THE CHIEF OF POLICE
COMMUNITY PARTNERS AND PROGRAMS Communities Of Trust
7
Chief’s Council on Diversity Recruitment
Overcoming Challenges Together National Night Out
Media Relations Bureau Data Dashboard
8
Major Crimes Bureau
9
Bureau
Organized Crime and Intelligence
10
Safety Officer Section
12
and Rescue, Search and Rescue
11
Marine Patrol, Underwater Search
Special Olympics
13
Explosive Ordinance Disposal
BUREAUS REPORTING TO THE OFFICE OF THE CHIEF Internal Affairs Bureau
15
Auditor
16
Office of the Independent Police
19
Section
21
23
25
27 29
30
K-9 Section
33
Special Weapons and Tactics Traffic Division
Cyber and Forensics Bureau
39
Recruiting
Helicopter Section
Unmanned Aircraft System
DEPUTY CHIEF OF POLICE FOR ADMINISTRATION Criminal Justice Academy
DEPUTY CHIEF OF POLICE FOR INVESTIGATIONS/OPERATIONS
Auxiliary Police Program and VIPS Public Safety Cadets
17
40
DEPUTY CHIEF OF POLICE FOR PATROL School Resource Officers
Community Reporting Service District Stations
Animal Protection Police
FALLEN OFFICERS MEMORIAL PAGE
41 42 44 60 61
31 34 35 37 2020 ANNUAL REPORT FAIRFAX COUNTY POLICE DEPARTMENT 4
5 FAIRFAX COUNTY POLICE DEPARTMENT 2018 ANNUAL REPORT
MESSAGE FROM THE CHIEF OF POLICE On May 3, 2021, I was sworn in as Chief
policing. This means implementing a
communities. This journey has just
This is a Department long known for its
holds offenders accountable while also
participant in the process.
of the Fairfax County Police Department. professionalism and its ability to keep people safe. I have since met many
new brand of law enforcement that
incorporating the important reforms
that improve our relationship with the
begun, and I ask you to be an active
As we look ahead, we will rely on a data-
community.
driven approach to public safety that
safety.
The 2020 Annual Report offers a glimpse
regular communication with those living
I was quickly convinced these hard-
County and our Nation. The COVID-19
dedicated police officers and professional staff who work hard to maintain public
working individuals are the backbone
of FCPD and the reason Fairfax County continues to have the lowest rate of
violent crime among jurisdictions of its size.
I pledge to continue to keep our
community safe while putting the
Department at the forefront of modern
into what was a difficult year for the
pandemic touched nearly every part of
promotes transparency and provides
in the many diverse communities in the county.
our lives and brought a new perspective
Police work best when we connect
our communities.
to continuing to meet people from
This report will stand as a benchmark as
wonderful community and by working
as to what it means to serve and protect
we move forward. We must constantly look for ways to improve and find
with those we serve. I look forward
throughout the county. This is truly a together we can make it even better.
innovative ways to maintain safe
2020 ANNUAL REPORT FAIRFAX COUNTY POLICE DEPARTMENT 6
COMMUNITIES OF TRUST COMMITTEE The Fairfax County Communities of
60 public safety agencies, community
organized and partnered with community
in December 2014, to help build
civic organizations. During the 2020
cloth face masks, resulting in over 10,000
Trust Committee (COTC) was established and enhance positive relationships
between public safety agencies and
the communities they serve. Its diverse membership, which is open to anyone
who supports its mission, includes over
members, faith groups, businesses and COVID-19 Pandemic, COTC sponsored the “Help from the Heart” campaign
collecting and donating thousands of
pounds of personal hygiene items and
food to community food pantries. COTC
members and organizations making
masks made and donated to hospitals,
schools, health departments, and other non-profit organizations. COTC works with other jurisdictions to expand its
model and to bring new programs into
marginalized communities while working with at risk kids.
7 FAIRFAX COUNTY POLICE DEPARTMENT 2020 ANNUAL REPORT
CHIEF’S COUNCIL ON DIVERSITY RECRUITMENT A very special group of volunteers
Dozens of leaders across our diverse
Recruitment is essential to helping
group plays a critical role in influencing
community serve on the council. This
known as the Chief’s Council on Diversity
and steering our recruitment efforts to
our department recruit and increase
represent all ethnic, racial, and cultural
diversity among its officers, civilians, and
groups in Fairfax County.
volunteers.
THE SCORECARD AS OF DECEMBER 2020 Ethnic Identity White Black
Asian/Pacific Islander
FCPD 1,141
78.3%
597,970 51.2%
79
5.4%
221,083 18.9%
120
Hispanic
106
Subtotal
1,458
Total
1,601
Other Non-Hispanic Vacant*
Fairfax County
12
8.2% 7.3% 0.8%
109,505
9.4%
189,354 16.2% 49,503
4.2%
1,166,965
100%
143
100%
*Inclusive of over-hire, and grant-funded sworn police officer hiring opportunities 2020 ANNUAL REPORT FAIRFAX COUNTY POLICE DEPARTMENT 8
OVERCOMING CHALLENGES TOGETHER COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE The relationship we have with our
community is extremely important to us.
We did not want the pandemic to hinder or diminish our progress in working together on issues confronting our
districts. Thanks to technology, we were able to continue to host our monthly
Citizens Advisory Committee meetings through virtual platforms, paving the
way for new members to join us. We are grateful for your continued support and
participation and look forward to making progress together in 2021.
9 FAIRFAX COUNTY POLICE DEPARTMENT 2020 ANNUAL REPORT
NATIONAL NIGHT OUT CELEBRATING FROM A DISTANCE Every year communities come together to celebrate National Night Out. This year was no exception, even with
the pandemic! National Night Out is
historically the largest Crime Prevention event in Fairfax County. Neighbors,
businesses and community members
come together to help promote safer neighborhoods and build positive
relationships with law enforcement. While we would have like to have been a little
closer this year, we were thrilled we could
still celebrate by holding parades through communities and attending smaller
scaled and socially distanced outdoor events.
2020 ANNUAL REPORT FAIRFAX COUNTY POLICE DEPARTMENT 10
AUXILIARY POLICE PROGRAM AND VIPS DEDICATED VOLUNTEERS Volunteers provide prescious time, insight and valuable
resources to our community. In 2020, nearly 133 people
contributed more than 18,300 hours of service between the
Auxiliary Police Program, Volunteers in Police Service and our Chaplain Unit. We are grateful for the outstanding volunteer work of our Auxiliary Police Officers, Volunteers in Police
Service, and Chaplain Unit. Without them, we would not be able to accomplish all we do!
These men and women support our Department in numerous ways. They help keep the County safe by assisting with traffic control, devoting their time to sobriety checkpoints, taking
photographs, attending community events and much more. We are extremely thankful for their service and dedication.
11 FAIRFAX COUNTY POLICE DEPARTMENT 2020 ANNUAL REPORT
PUBLIC SAFETY CADETS ADAPT AND OVERCOME The Fairfax County Police Department’s Public Safety Cadet Program adapted to the challenges faced in 2020 and continue to safely educate and mentor cadets.
The three Public Safety Cadet Units have continued to
hold virtual training for cadets to learn about a variety of law enforcement related topics. Transitioning to a virtual
platform has allowed for the continuance of meetings to take place twice a month, educating and preparing our
young community members of Fairfax County for their future careers.
The program held its first virtual recruiting event in October
and welcomed a recruit class of 35 new Public Safety Cadets in 2020.
2020 ANNUAL REPORT FAIRFAX COUNTY POLICE DEPARTMENT 12
SPECIAL OLYMPICS HELPING OTHERS ACHIEVE GREATNESS Our department’s support of the
we had great success in participating in
2020. Although our partnership looked
grown accustomed to.
Special Olympics Virginia continued in
different than in years past, we were still able to attend several in-person events
this year such as our annual Mosaic Polar Plunge. Other in-person events included the Virginia Beach Polar Plunge and Law
Enforcement Torch Run Golf Tournament
despite the lack of atmosphere we have
last year, many events scheduled later in
the year were held virtually. The Summer Games, Plane Pull and the Bocce Ball
Tournament were just some of events 13 FAIRFAX COUNTY POLICE DEPARTMENT 2020 ANNUAL REPORT
Raised to Support Special Olympics VA
Through this partnership, we were able
to raise more than $73,000 which goes to help provide year-round sports training and athletic competitions for children and adult with intellectual disabilities.
fundraiser.
In order to adapt to the challenges of
$73,017
33
Years of Partnership with FCPD
6
# of Events in Which FCPD Participated
2018 ANNUAL 2020 ANNUAL REPORT REPORT FAIRFAX FAIRFAX COUNTY COUNTY POLICE POLICE DEPARTMENT DEPARTMENT 14 14
INTERNAL AFFAIRS BUREAU The Internal Affairs Bureau (IAB) ensures
or incident thoroughly and impartially,
standards of ethics and integrity by
reports often provide recommendations/
the Department maintains the highest
overseeing the acceptance, investigation, and adjudication of all complaints. The
IAB reports directly to the Chief of Police and is comprised of the Investigations and Inspections Divisions.
INVESTIGATIONS
and prepare investigative reports. These considerations regarding policy,
training, and disciplinary actions. The
Total Internal Complaints 30.2% 132 Closed; 52 Open
IAB Annual Report covers administrative investigations and use of force data.
INSPECTIONS The Inspections Division provides the
The Investigations Division is responsible
chief of police with a systematic way
acts of employee misconduct, violations
efficiency, effectiveness, adherence to
violations of law, and civil claims filed
applicable laws, and professional
detectives investigate each complaint
chief.
for investigating allegations or suspected
to regularly assess the Department’s
of Departmental policy and procedure,
Departmental policies and procedures,
against the Department. The IAB
standards. Reports are provided to the
15 FAIRFAX COUNTY POLICE DEPARTMENT 2020 ANNUAL REPORT
184 130
69.8%
Total External Complaints 45 Closed; 85 Open
506
Total Uses of Force 472 First Line Investigations 34 Administrative Investigations
OFFICE OF THE INDEPENDENT POLICE AUDITOR INDEPENDENT POLICE AUDITOR
annual report. The OIPA also provides
The Office of the Independent
County Police Civilian Review Panel.
administrative support to the Fairfax
Police Auditor (OIPA) reviews police
investigations involving the use of force
52.1%
and serves as an independent intake
venue for complaints against the FCPD. The mission of the OIPA is to bolster
The OIPA not only reviews investigations, it also reviews and produces public
recommendations concerning revisions
47.9% of FCPD policies, training, and practices.
92.4%
trust between the community and the
Department by providing accountability,
POLICE CIVILIAN REVIEW PANEL
complaint system and investigative
The Fairfax County Police Civilian Review
fairness, transparency, and trust in the process. Providing an accessible, safe, impartial, and responsive venue for
complaints against the FCPD and its employees. The OIPA publishes its findings in public reports for each
reviewed investigation, as well as its own
Panel (CRP) reviews completed FCPD
investigations into allegations of abuse of
authority or serious misconduct to ensure accuracy, completeness, thoroughness, objectivity, and impartiality.
2020 ANNUAL REPORT FAIRFAX COUNTY POLICE DEPARTMENT 16
PUBLIC AFFAIRS BUREAU CHANGING FOR THE BETTER
Twitter Posts and Replies
The Public Affairs Bureau, formerly known
In one of our videos, we collaborated
its title last year to better reflect our
for additional witnesses to a shooting
of incidents throughout the County. In
included a “Patrol Case Highlights”
Info Car. The Info Car serves to provide
that may not garner media attention
across the county in a more consumable
commitment to de-escalation and
as the Media Relations Bureau, changed
with our Major Crimes Bureau to call
purpose of informing the community
that occurred a week prior. Other videos
addition to a new title, we introduced our
in which we showcased some events
updated information about incidents
but demonstrate our officer’s daily
way for our followers. These short videos
peacefully resolving conflicts.
highlighted cases worked by our patrol
officers as well as our detectives assigned to our Major Crimes Bureau.
We continued to use our platforms,
Twitter, Facebook, Instagram,. Nextdoor
and FCPD blog to inform our community of incidents throughout the County.
17 FAIRFAX COUNTY POLICE DEPARTMENT 2020 ANNUAL REPORT
4,926 528
Facebook Posts
355
Instagram Posts
2018 ANNUAL 2020 ANNUAL REPORT REPORT FAIRFAX FAIRFAX COUNTY COUNTY POLICE POLICE DEPARTMENT DEPARTMENT 18 18
DATA DASHBOARD The Fairfax County Police Department is
To ensure our community was aware
being upheld while embracing reform.
We are committed to engaging our
knowledge to use them, we held eight
to identify any racial inequities and
dedicated to fair and impartial policing. community by providing more robust data sets for arrest, citations and
warnings issued. In 2020, we released our new GIS-based data dashboards designed with community input and
rooted in the principles of transparency and fair and impartial policing. These
data dashboards provide an additional layer of accountability, leveraging
of the data dashboard and had the
virtual town hall sessions beginning in December 2020 and concluding
in February of 2021. These solution-
implement strategies to remedy any long-standing disparities.
oriented community forums provided
We continue to work together with
and policies related to the data sets.
and leaders to remain at the forefront
available to our community.
County with the highest quality of police
the opportunity to discuss our training
members of our community, stakeholders
These meetings were recorded and are
of reform efforts, while providing Fairfax
analytics to continue to strengthen
The goals of sharing this data are to
department. We will continue to have
to protect everyone, equitably. As
concerning police policies and operations
repair trust with our community, we are
trust and confidence in your police
ensure your police department continues
healthy discussions with our community
we work to build and, in some cases,
in the County.
steadfast in making sure our values are
19 FAIRFAX COUNTY POLICE DEPARTMENT 2020 ANNUAL REPORT
This data also leverages the opportunity
services.
2020 ANNUAL REPORT FAIRFAX COUNTY POLICE DEPARTMENT 20
MAJOR CRIMES BUREAU COVID CRACKDOWN
COLD CASE WEBPAGE
Detectives from our Major Crimes
The Cold Case Squad, founded in 1995,
bringing them closure is resolute.
Squad recognized that school closures
the Fairfax County Police Department.
This past year, detectives assigned to
learning increased many children’s
investigation of unsolved homicides
unyielding commitment to these victims
them at higher risk of exploitation. In
On July 29, 2020, the Cold Case Squad
evidence. These two sexual assaults,
conducted a proactive operation to
webpage to share information about
excellent examples of how our detectives
Bureau’s Missing and Exploited Person
falls under the Major Crimes Bureau of
and the implementation of distance
The squad is responsible for the
our Cold Case Squad demonstrated their
online presence and inadvertently placed
and serial sex crimes in the County.
by solving two cases through forensic
order to combat this risk, our detectives
announced the launch of a new public
which occurred in 1998 and 2014, are
identify would-be predators. Our MCB
these open investigations.
use today’s advancement in technology
in conjunction with our Organized Crime and Intelligence Bureau, conducted
Operation COVID Crackdown in April of
2020 which resulted in 30 arrests and 68 felony charges.
21 FAIRFAX COUNTY POLICE DEPARTMENT 2020 ANNUAL REPORT
The webpage serves to provide
information to the community as well as to reassure the friends and family
members of these victims that although time may pass, our commitment to
to solve crimes from the past.
2018 ANNUAL 2020 ANNUAL REPORT REPORT FAIRFAX FAIRFAX COUNTY COUNTY POLICE POLICE DEPARTMENT DEPARTMENT 22 22
ORGANIZED CRIME AND INTELLIGENCE BUREAU WHO WE ARE
STREET CRIMES UNIT
The Organized Crime and Intelligence
The SCU is a highly trained tactical unit
non-fatal cases. This is equivalent to one
nized Crime and Narcotics Division (OCN)
support to OCIB, Major Crimes Bureau
one dying every 4 ½ days. These inves-
Bureau (OCIB) is comprised of the Orgaand the Criminal Intelligence Division
(CID). Units assigned to these Divisions
work collaboratively to ensure the safety and security of the community. Some
sections within the Bureau include the
Street Crimes Unit (SCU), Narcotics Unit, Overdose Investigations Unit (OIU) and the Gang Investigations Unit (GIU).
and has the responsibility for providing and other law enforcement agencies
throughout the National Capital Region.
Their primary investigative responsibility is combating street level narcotics, vice crimes, and any related activities.
tigations are extremely demanding, and most cases require a detective to spend
an average of 90 hours on each case. Last
year, more than 150 search warrants were executed related to these investigations.
OVERDOSE INVESTIGATION UNIT
Many of these cases remain active as
The OIU continues to work hard address-
side with our County, state and federal
ing the opioid crisis by investigating
all fatal overdoses. In 2020, there were 80 fatal overdoses and 239 reported 23 FAIRFAX COUNTY POLICE DEPARTMENT 2020 ANNUAL REPORT
person overdosing every 1 ½ days with
these detectives continue to work side by partners for the investigations in addition to education and prevention efforts.
THE GANG UNIT The Gang Investigation Unit (GUI) is comprised of a second lieutenant, a sergeant, and nine detectives. The roles of the GIU
are to investigate gang related crimes and gather and disseminate criminal gang information to patrol officers and all investigative entities. In 2020, GIU detectives
developed or investigated approximately
1,570 cases, which translates into 174 cases per detective.
221
Arrests Made by Our Gang Investigation Unit 2020 ANNUAL REPORT FAIRFAX COUNTY POLICE DEPARTMENT 24
SAFETY OFFICER SECTION The Law Enforcement Safety Officer is a
To help protect officers in the field,
trained, and managed a group of officers
occupational safety, and the roles of an
Infectious Disease Prevention Team
vans. These vans were created to keep
career field that combines the fields of incident command safety officer.
During the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, the Safety Officer Section ramped up
operations concentrating on exposure mitigation and virus education. Safety
officers responded to thousands of calls
for service with patrol officers to provide advice on how to keep themselves safe with proper use of personal protective equipment. Safety officers also helped with decontaminating officers, police
vehicles and police stations as needed.
25 FAIRFAX COUNTY POLICE DEPARTMENT 2020 ANNUAL REPORT
the Safety Officer Section created the (IDRT). IDRT consisted of over 100
officers who received advanced training
in disease prevention, decontamination, and how to safely wear personal
protective equipment while working
with an infectious community member.
When the IDRT officers responded to an incident, an on-duty safety officer also
responded to help reduce the chance of an injury.
To prevent an arresting officer from being contaminated by an infectious prisoner, the Safety Officer Section created,
who drove special arrestee transport
the arrestee and officer safe during the drive to the Adult Detention Center. At the conclusion of each transport,
these vans were decontaminated and immediately put back into service.
During the height of the pandemic, eight of these vehicles were operational at all times of the day.
15
Safety Officers in 2020
2018 ANNUAL 2020 ANNUAL REPORT REPORT FAIRFAX FAIRFAX COUNTY COUNTY POLICE POLICE DEPARTMENT DEPARTMENT 26 26
MARINE PATROL, UNDERWATER SEARCH AND RESCUE, SEARCH AND RESCUE PROTECTING OUR WATERWAYS
ALWAYS READY
UNDER WATER SEARCH AND RESCUE
The Marine Patrol Unit (MPU) is com-
Our Search and Rescue (SAR) Team is
The mission of the Under Water
recovering evidence and often providing
Department entities in the retrieval of
when needed.
drowning victims from the underwater
prised of a Second Lieutenant, two
full-time officers and five supplemental officers who helped maintain a daily
presence on our water ways from May 22 through September 10, 2020. Notably,
dedicated to finding missing people,
Search and Rescue team is to support
mutual aid to surrounding jurisdictions
evidence or property and the recovery of resting places throughout Fairfax County.
our MPU provided an escort to honor
The SAR Team continued to work under
officers. Our MPU also ensured safe pas-
the working relationship and allowing for
operations throughout the year and
of kayakers who paddle from New Jersey
As a result of the pandemic, our SAR
weather, under a layer of ice, as they are
ment officers.
searches for missing people.
disabled veterans and law enforcement
the Major Crimes Bureau strengthening
The team conducts training and
sage for Operation Deep Blue, a group
a smooth and timely response to scenes.
is just as capable of diving in subzero
to Quantico to honor fallen law enforce-
Team saw a reduction in the number of
in a warm pond on a summer afternoon.
27 FAIRFAX COUNTY POLICE DEPARTMENT 2020 ANNUAL REPORT
2020 ANNUAL REPORT FAIRFAX COUNTY POLICE DEPARTMENT 28
EXPLOSIVES ORDNANCE DISPOSAL SECTION NEW NOSE The Explosives Ordinance Disposal
This includes their newest member,
Members of our EOD are dedicated to
Lieutenant, two full-time officers and
training prior to joining the team. EOD
enforcement partners across the world
canines assigned to assist with their
canine partners and robots detecting
(EOD) Section consists of a Second
Presley who completed 16 weeks of
six supplemental officers. EOD has four
works on the front line using their
investigations.
components of explosives.
keeping our community and our law
safe. This past summer, our EOD donated suits that no longer fit our Department’s needs to the Guatemala National Civil Police.
22
EOD Canine Searches
15
10 Ordinance/Package Events 29 FAIRFAX COUNTY POLICE DEPARTMENT 2020 ANNUAL REPORT
HELICOPTER DIVISION EYE IN THE SKY In late October, our officers were alerted to a 10-year-old girl who
wandered away from her family on a bicycle in an unfamiliar area. Not knowing how far she traveled, Fairfax 1 took flight to help bring her home safely. Within minutes of arriving, the flight crew spotted the
girl riding her bicycle quite far from her family and well outside the ground search area. The crew guided officers to the girl just before she tried to cross a busy street. She was safely reunited with her relieved family.
A few weeks later, the young girl and her family visited the same crew who found her. It was obvious she was thrilled to meet the crew and
get a behind the scenes look at Fairfax 1. Our crew was just as excited to have the opportunity to meet a community member they helped!
You can find more information about why the helicopter was in flight at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/police/helicopterdivision/fairfax1
2018 ANNUAL 2020 ANNUAL REPORT REPORT FAIRFAX FAIRFAX COUNTY COUNTY POLICE POLICE DEPARTMENT DEPARTMENT 30 30
UNMANNED AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS USING TECHNOLOGY TO HELP OUR COMMUNITY Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS)
Our 107 pilots took a two-day
safety, and situational awareness for first
FAA examination. After passing the exam,
provide enhanced operational capability, responders, other staff or volunteers,
affiliated partners, and the community. They can operate in many types of
environments (natural or manmade), or
during critical incidents which might be hazardous to people. UAS are able to
help with disaster assessments, search and rescue, situational awareness, fire scene management as well as traffic, crash and highway management.
31 FAIRFAX COUNTY POLICE DEPARTMENT 2020 ANNUAL REPORT
preparation course prior to taking the
pilots took a ninety-minute classroom
62
Missions Flown in 2020
orientation followed by additional classes which included several hours of handson training. Pilots must have several
hours of flight time every ninety days and pass a yearly updated policy course to
ensure they are aware of any new legal or procedural changes.
28
Certified Pilots
2020 ANNUAL REPORT FAIRFAX COUNTY POLICE DEPARTMENT 32
CANINE SECTION GROWING OUR TEAM In the fall of 2020, our Canine Section welcomed the newest member of the
team, Millie! She came to us from Georgia around nine weeks old. Millie joined our
existing team of eighteen canines, fifteen handlers, three of which are supervisors.
2,128
Dispatched Calls for Service
Millie began her training late last year. She is expected to be able to start
searching for missing people in mid to late 2021.
In 2020, her partners helped our
department in many ways. Our Canine
Section had 463 patrol deployments and completed 129 narcotic sniffs.
33 FAIRFAX COUNTY POLICE DEPARTMENT 2020 ANNUAL REPORT
21
Bloodhound Deployments
SPECIAL WEAPONS AND TACTICS 94
Total Operations
TACTICS ARE EVERYTHING SWAT is comprised of thirteen sworn operators, which includes a second
lieutenant and two sergeants. The team leader and assistant team leaders have
53
High-Risk Operations
the unique responsibility of not only
filling the roles of first line supervisors, with the same administrative duties as
other first line supervisors, but also must
meet the operational standards, roles, and expectations met by the operators. SWAT
23
Patrol Generated Operations
is tasked with responding to a variety of
high-risk critical incidents and developing action plans to bring these incidents to a successful conclusion. The SWAT Team is
responsible for serving all search and arrest warrants that have been deemed high risk.
2018 ANNUAL 2020 ANNUAL REPORT REPORT FAIRFAX FAIRFAX COUNTY COUNTY POLICE POLICE DEPARTMENT DEPARTMENT 34 34
TRAFFIC DIVISION COMMITTMENT
DRIVE SOBER OR GET PULLED OVER
The Traffic Division remained committed to providing traffic safety education to
This year presented many obstacles in
the community while dealing with fewer events due to the pandemic. Members of our Traffic Division worked with all eight district stations to conduct High Visibility
Enforcement, safety presentations to community groups and car seat safety checks.
conducting safe traffic enforcement.
Our DWI squad continued enforcement by conducting over 2,200 traffic stops
resulting in 263 driving while intoxicated or driving under the influence of drugs charges.
KEEPING YOUNG PASSENGERS SAFE The Traffic Division coordinated car seat safety checks throughout the year at
several of the district stations. Officers
inspected a total of 631 seats, 274 were installed incorrectly and re-installed properly. 35 FAIRFAX COUNTY POLICE DEPARTMENT 2020 ANNUAL REPORT
2,307
Vehicles Stopped by DWI Enforcement CRASH RECONTRUCTION UNIT
KEEPING OUR ROADS SAFE
Detectives assigned to our Crash
Although traffic was severely impacted
injury or fatal crashes within the county.
Safety Unit remained committed to
29 of them fatal. To assist with public
operated safely on our roadways. They
took part in a public awareness video
resulting in 199 unsafe commercial
unit investigates crashes and the impact
service and off our roads. Throughout
and affected families. Through this video,
discovered 1,502 violations between
the dangers of speeding, driving under
inspected.
Reconstruction Unit respond to serious
due to the pandemic, the Motor Carrier
In 2020, they investigated 40 crashes,
ensuring all commercial motor vehicles
education about fatal crashes, a detective
conducted 604 safety inspections
designed to provide insight into how the
vehicles and trailers being placed out of
these crashes have on our community
all of 2020, the Motor Carrier Safety Unit
we also reminded our community about
commercial motor vehicles and trailers
the influence and distracted driving.
631
Child Passenger Seats Inspected
1,502
Commercial Vehicles Inspection Violations
90
Escorts Provided by our Motor Squad
2020 ANNUAL REPORT FAIRFAX COUNTY POLICE DEPARTMENT 36
CYBER AND FORENSICS BUREAU DIGITAL FORENSICS UNIT
CRIME SCENE SECTION
The Digital Forensics Unit of the Cyber
histories from a suspect’s laptop and so
The Crime Scene Section is comprised
Detectives who examine the electronic
of highly-specialized tools and methods,
specialists, and two supervisors. Their
and Forensics Bureau is a group of six
devices gathered by other investigators
during the course of their investigations.
much more. They do this through the use thorough research, and old-fashioned ingenuity.
These highly-trained examiners must stay
The evidence recovered by the Digital
fields of computing, mobile electronics,
suspects at the scene of a crime, track
abreast of the constant changes in the
and software development. They are able to use that knowledge to extract digital clues out of everyday devices to aide
investigators in solving crimes. These
detectives can recover anything from GPS
data from a victim’s cell phone to internet 37 FAIRFAX COUNTY POLICE DEPARTMENT 2020 ANNUAL REPORT
Forensics Unit has helped place murder down internet predators, and bring scammers to justice.
of twenty detectives, two photographic primary mission is to document scenes through photography, laser scans, and
the collection, processing, and packaging of evidence. Crime scene detectives utilize various methods to discover
evidence including chemical processing, DNA recovery, and alternative light
sources. They work closely with other detectives and are crucial part of a successful investigation.
2,560
Pieces of Evidence Analyzed
784
Cases Assigned to Crime Scene Section
1,173
Latent Fingerprints Analyzed
2018 ANNUAL 2020 ANNUAL REPORT REPORT FAIRFAX FAIRFAX COUNTY COUNTY POLICE POLICE DEPARTMENT DEPARTMENT 38 38
THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE ACADEMY TRAINING GOES VIRTUAL The Fairfax County Criminal Justice
Academy (FCCJA) ensures the department maintains the highest standards of training by monitoring policy and
to the needs of its officers. By the end of the year, officers had completed 7,641
courses and the FCCJA produced seven original training videos.
96
FCPD Recruits Attended Training
legislative changes. With the impact of
COVID-19, the FCCJA quickly adapted to
ensure all safety guidelines were followed while making sure all officers could continue to train.
One way the FCCJA was able to continue training during the pandemic was the launch of Police One Academy online training. This platform provided the
department with the opportunity to
create original training content catered 39 FAIRFAX COUNTY POLICE DEPARTMENT 2020 ANNUAL REPORT
FCCJA Session 71 Graduation
RECRUITING HIRING THE BEST OF THE BEST FCPD recruiters partnered with local organizations, high schools, universities, and military installations to reach
members of our diverse community in an effort to mirror
those we serve. While the pandemic caused challenges, our recruiters held virtual events and application workshops.
Social media advertisements and a new electronic personal
history statement further extended our outreach. Despite the year’s challenges, our recruiters created the opportunity to
reach candidates efficiently with increased levels of personal attention.
In 2020, FCPD recruiters attended or hosted 91 events,
made 479 contacts, received 2,313 Police Officer and Animal
Protection Police Officer applications, and held 12 application workshops.
2020 ANNUAL REPORT FAIRFAX COUNTY POLICE DEPARTMENT 40
SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS LASTING IMPACT
ADAPT AND OVERCOME As a result of the pandemic, everyone
Reporting Service to help take reports
Our SROs work with so many students,
School Resource Officers (SRO). While
the virus spread. The majority of our
interactions have. More than 20 years
extremely helpful when officers had
Robinson Secondary School when a then
spread of the virus.
heading down a difficult path. As a result
had to make adjustments, including our our SROs could not be in the schools, they were still able to help serve our
community. Approximately twenty SROs were reassigned to our Community
over the phone in an effort to reduce
it is easy to forget the impact those
SROs supplemented patrol which proved
ago, MPO Gleason was the SRO at
to periodically quarantine to stop the
student, Joe Mannato, found himself
of the time MPO Gleason spent with him, Joe knew he had to make a change. He
joined the Army and served in Operation Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom.
After many years, the two reconnected
after Joe sent a letter to MPO Gleason for chaging his life and helping him become the person he is today.
41 FAIRFAX COUNTY POLICE DEPARTMENT 2020 ANNUAL REPORT
COMMUNITY REPORTING SERVICE AT YOUR SERVICE During the pandemic our department
quickly adapted to handle calls for service in a safe and socially distant manner.
To limit personal contact and effectively address non-emergency community
58,969
Reports Written by CRS
issues, officers staffed Community
Reporting Service positions at each
district station to handle calls and write police reports for community members
over the phone. Patrol officers were also encouraged to handle calls over the
phone that did not require an mmediate response.
19,728
Reports written by the Expanded CRS Program
2020 ANNUAL REPORT FAIRFAX COUNTY POLICE DEPARTMENT 42
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SULLY DISTRICT STATION KINDNESS ROCKS
TRUNK OR TREAT
In January, the Sully District Station
With so many events cancelled due to
national movement that encourages
District Station came up with a creative
held the “Kindness Rocks Project,” a
people to make connections within their community by painting kindhearted
messages on rocks. The rocks are then placed in areas of the community for others to find. Making this a shared project through police officers and
community members was a great way to work together to spread kindness. Over
150 community members came together to paint rocks and spread them across the district.
the pandemic, officers from the Sully
37,892 Dispatched Calls
and socially distant way to engage the community. Through the Halloween “Trunk-Or Treat” drive-thru event,
officers, local business and organizations decorated their cars and brought smiles to community members of all ages!
187
DUI Arrests
We were thrilled to engage with our
community who was very appreciative for this safe and socially distant event.
1,947
Crimes Against Property 2020 ANNUAL REPORT FAIRFAX COUNTY POLICE DEPARTMENT 44
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MOUNT VERNON DISTRICT STATION CHALK IT UP
BURGLARY SERIES CLOSED
Officers at the Mount Vernon District
The Mount Vernon District had forty-
way to engage young members of our
and October. Determined to solve these
Station created a fun and socially distant community through a virtual sidewalk
chalk contest! This event gave children the opportunity to get outside, be
creative and have some fun! We received over forty entries with beautiful artwork and smiling faces. The winners were
surprised by a parade of police cars with lights and sirens to celebrate their win.
five commercial burglaries between May
47,844 Dispatched Calls
cases, detectives, officers and crime
analysts put their heads together. The total loss of money and items stolen
throughout these burglaries was over $160,000. In October, officers were
dispatched to two commercial burglaries
105
DUI Arrests
that just occurred. Not long after, a
community member called 911 when
they saw a man trying to break into a
business. Thanks to their help, officers
took the suspect into custody, closing out numerous cases.
3,436
Crimes Against Property 2020 ANNUAL REPORT FAIRFAX COUNTY POLICE DEPARTMENT 46
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MCLEAN DISTRICT STATION TEAM EFFORT
CASE CLOSED
Throughout the months of November
Officers from our McLean District
District Station participated in food
a large retailer reported an ongoing
and December, officers from the McLean distribution events coordinated by
the Arlington Boulevard Community Development. Over 300 boxes of
food were distributed at each event to community members in need.
Community members lined up early to
ensure they received their food box. The McLean Officers worked hard with the
event organizers to ensure the orderly flow of pedestrian and car traffic and
assisted with the overall success of the event.
Station acted swiftly last August after
51,488 Dispatched Calls
fraud complaint. Over a two-day period, a man purchased more than $6,000 of merchandise using fraudulent credit
cards. The man was seen leaving the
mall and officers were able to conduct
a traffic stop. The man was found to be
176
DUI Arrests
in possession of fraudulent debit cards. Officers linked him to a serial criminal
theft ring. As a result, a multi-jurisdictional investigation was launched and involved numerous identity theft victims and
criminal enterprise funding of more than
4,035
Crimes Against Property
$100,000.
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MASON DISTRICT STATION COMING TOGETHER
SAFETY FIRST
Officers from the Mason District
The Fairfax County Police Department
local organizations and community
youngest of passengers are safe on
Station partnered with numerous
stakeholders to help those in need. Our
officers supported and attended twenty-
four food and clothing distribution events in 2020. These events helped countless
members of our community access food
and necessities to keep their families full and warm during difficult times.
takes pride in making sure even the
50,469 Dispatched Calls
our roadways. Mason District officers
dedicated time to participate in regular car seat inspection events last year. Through these inspections, officers
taught parents and parents-to-be the
ins and outs of car seat safety. Through
242
DUI Arrests
scheduled appointments, Mason District officers proudly installed forty-nine car seats in 2020.
3,249
Crimes Against Property 2020 ANNUAL REPORT FAIRFAX COUNTY POLICE DEPARTMENT 50
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RESTON DISTRICT STATION A SAFE RIDE
CRUSHING THE CRISIS
When our officers received an invite to a
Officers from the Reston District Station
say no! The Reston Neighborhood Patrol
on October 24, 2020, for National Drug
Back-to-School Bicycle Bash, we couldn’t Unit along with the community outreach officer joined the Glenbrooke Woods
community to provide some basic safety reminders as they enjoy the outdoors
between their online studies. Afterwards, they took a group ride to a cul-de-sac where riders were met with giveaways and great conversation..
partnered with Reston Hospital Center
36,480 Dispatched Calls
Take Back Day. Together we helped take unwanted drugs and used needles out
of community members hands. Through
our joint effort, over 300 pounds of drugs were collected and safely disposed of.
We are grateful for our partnerships and
104
DUI Arrests
community support of this event.
2,188
Crimes Against Property 2020 ANNUAL REPORT FAIRFAX COUNTY POLICE DEPARTMENT 52
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FRANCONIA DISTRICT STATION YOU CALLED. WE ANSWERED.
COMMANDER IN THE COMMUNITY
When a concerned community member
Connecting with our community is
officers answered the call. Through
Department. Through the Franconia
called us about an ongoing issue, our a thorough investigation, officers
discovered illegal activity coming from one particular apartment. Through
good police work, officers recovered a
loaded firearm and fifty-five individually
vacuum sealed plastic bags of marijuana, money, Xanax pills and twenty THC vape cartridges. The man was charged with four felonies and one misdemeanor.
the upmost of importance to our
50,411 Dispatched Calls
District Station’s “Commander in the
Community” program, officers arranged meetings so community members
could meet officers patrolling their
neighborhoods and discuss concerns impacting everyone. One of these
162
DUI Arrests
meetings was a community forum on youth issues and policing where we spoke to younger members of our community.
3,188
Crimes Against Property 2020 ANNUAL REPORT FAIRFAX COUNTY POLICE DEPARTMENT 54
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WEST SPRINGFIELD DISTRICT STATION LET’S TALK
HAVE FAITH
The West Springfield District Station
During the height of national concerns
engaging way to reach the community
departments, the West Springfield District
wanted to come up with a new and
during the pandemic. “Let’s Talk” came to fruition in the fall of 2020. The
program rotates through the core patrol areas every month. Officers met with
community members to discuss concerns, crime trends and offered tips on how to
prevent criminal activity. The program is offered through online platforms which enabled officers to reach more people effectively.
about the use of force by police
46,404 Dispatched Calls
Station hosted an event with the faith-
based community. This event began with a presentation by our academy staff on
how our officers are trained on the use of force continuum. Afterwards, community leaders went through a simulator where
138
DUI Arrests
they experienced what it is like to make real time decisions from an officer’s
point of view. The event concluded with an open dialogue on police use of force and how we can work together moving forward.
2,591
Crimes Against Property 2020 ANNUAL REPORT FAIRFAX COUNTY POLICE DEPARTMENT 56
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FAIR OAKS DISTRICT STATION BIKE TOWN
CASE CLOSED
When a neighborhood asked us to
With the help of our local and federal law
rodeo, we couldn’t say no! The event,
the Fair Oaks District Station’s Criminal
participate in a socially distanced bike dubbed “Saddlestone Court Bike Town”, gave us the opportunity to engage with young members of our community.
We loved taking the time to provide
some safety reminders and giveaways
as well as set up a few cone courses to
practice riding skills. Parents, children and our officers enjoyed this safe outdoor adventure!
enforcement partners, detectives from
44,284 Dispatched Calls
Investigation Section successfully
closed thirty-six burglaries in 2020. A collaborative investigation led to the
successful apprehension of the suspects involved. In total, the monetary loss of
property in Fairfax County was 1.6 million
118
DUI Arrests
dollars. The suspects were later tied to fifty-nine burglaries on the east coast spanning a two-year period.
2,285
Crimes Against Property 2020 ANNUAL REPORT FAIRFAX COUNTY POLICE DEPARTMENT 58
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ANIMAL PROTECTION POLICE OFFICERS A SNAPPING GOOD SAVE
FREE TO FLY
Animal Protection Police (APP) received
A beautiful bald eagle was released back
repeatedly crossing the road in a
In December 2019, Police Officer First
a call about a large turtle that was
residential area of Alexandria. Much to
their surprise, it was a 65-pound alligator snapping turtle. Most likely a captive-
bred turtle released into the wild, it was safely captured by APP and temporarily taken to the Fairfax County Animal
Shelter. The turtle eventually found a new home at the Virginia Zoo in Norfolk!
into the wild at Burke Lake in January!
14,315
Total Calls for Service
Class Tom Dawson and Animal Protection Police Officers noticed the bird was hurt and quickly captured it to see how they could help. The eagle was taken to our
animal shelter and stayed under the care of a veterinarian until it was well enough
5,743
Sick/Injured Domestic and Wild Animals
to be released back into the wild. The
eagle’s release was quite the community event!
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Officers 2020 ANNUAL REPORT FAIRFAX COUNTY POLICE DEPARTMENT 60
IN VALOR THE
K-9 DOBY
K-9 BANDIT 61 FAIRFAX COUNTY POLICE DEPARTMENT 2020 ANNUAL REPORT
ERE IS HOPE
SPECIAL POLICE OFFICER HENDRICK A. GIDEONSE
CAPTAIN TOMMY F. BERNAL
DETECTIVE VICKY O. ARMEL
SECOND LIEUTENANT FRANCIS J. STECCO
OFFICER KAREN J. BASSFORD
MASTER POLICE OFFICER MICHAEL E. GARBARINO 2020 ANNUAL REPORT FAIRFAX COUNTY POLICE DEPARTMENT 62
A Fairfax County, VA, Publication JULY 2021