Commentary: Importance of Ad Hoc Commission’s Role
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Commentary: Importance of Ad Hoc Commission’s Role

Letter to the Editor

Thursday, September 24, 2015

The following statement from the Mount Vernon Lee Chamber of Commerce was addressed to the Ad Hoc Police Practices Review Commission on Sept. 14.

Mr. Chairman and distinguished members of the commission, Mount Vernon Lee Chamber of Commerce is honored to provide testimony on the practices and policies of the Fairfax County Police Department to facilitate the discussion of this commission.

Our chamber of commerce has enjoyed a long and cordial relationship with the leadership and officers in both the Mount Vernon Police Station and the Franconia Police Station. The businesses in our organization also have good relationships with the police and rely daily on their efforts to keep the community safe. We greatly appreciate the dedicated service of these public servants. It is the foundation for the peace and prosperity of our community.

With more than 1.2 million residents, Fairfax County has the lowest crime rate of any jurisdiction of our size in the United States. This is impressive as Fairfax County also has one of the lowest officer-to-citizen ratios in the nation. We believe the low crime rate is a reflection of the quality policing and the extensive community outreach made by Fairfax County Police Department. That has been our experience in the greater US 1 Richmond Highway area.

We support the Board of Supervisors’ efforts to review how and when information disclosures are made in the case of serious incidents involving the police department. We also support increased training on the use of force for new recruits and training reviews for long-time officers. Clarifying the roles and relationship between the Fairfax County Police Department (FCPD), the Office of the County Attorney, and the Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney is an important task for this commission. These initiatives will strengthen the ability of the police department to work with the community and develop relationships of trust.

Fairfax County’s goal of achieving and maintain a safe community is achieved because law enforcement is given the tools it needs to do accomplish this mission and has deep community support. Fairfax County Police Department has the strong support of this organization. We look forward to the work of this commission and a further discussion of the role of the police in our community.

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