The Connection

There’s a new lawman in town. The 1865 term “lawman” is not used often in modern policing; now we usually say police officer or law-enforcement officer, or even policeman, harking back to the days before women filled the role. The shorter term cop applies to both sexes. 

Neither is the South County area of Fairfax the lawless area of the western territories of the United States in the 1860s. But the eight district police stations scattered throughout the county have not included a station in close proximity to the fast growing southern parts of the county. Calls for police in the areas of Clifton, Lorton, Mason Neck and Springfield are covered by officers from the nearest stations: Franconia, Sully, and West Springfield. Once opened and staffed, the new south county station located on Lorton Road, now in final stages of completion, will have officers who can be dispatched from a base much closer to those areas.

The new lawman coming to the territory is experienced Captain Richard Morvillo, who has been selected to command the south county station. When the station opens, permanent assignment of officers to the new facility is not expected to be complete. Instead, coverage by officers from the stations currently providing patrol and response will continue. Over time, a mix of officers who desire to serve in that area, and those with a variety of needed experience and tenure, will make up Morvillo’s duty complement. The impacts on duty selection of new county collective bargaining for police officers, expected to begin in December, is not yet known. The station’s proximity to I-95 is seen as an enticement to officers, as many travel to work from outside the county.

The graceful looking new police station building with covered archways and bountiful landscaping has been dubbed the “ghost town” by some locals, as it appears completed but not staffed. After multiple police academy classes have turned out new officers, and the department’s redistricting staffing effort is nearing completion, the new building may need a new nickname. Building equipment parts and office furniture on order but not yet received are more valid impacts to the opening.

The new Lorton District Police Station and Animal Shelter near completion is expected to open in the Fall. 

 

Joining officers under Morvillo’s command at the new facility, a contingent of Captain Eric Ivancic’s Animal Protection Police Division has space allocated, allowing those specialized officers a closer base for response as well. A significant amount of the facility’s space is dedicated to providing an additional animal shelter with kennels and outdoor runs to complement the main animal shelter on West Ox Road.

Does Morvillo see a particular focus needed for law enforcement in this neighborhood? He says that this area has the same everyday annoyances that all of Fairfax County experiences. He terms annoyances as those things that are disturbing to residents and impact the enjoyment of life here that law enforcement is asked to address. “All are vitally important”, he says, “and none are exclusive to the Lorton area." 

Morvillo notes that panhandling, shoplifting, assault and domestic abuse are common problems throughout the county. The department initiates various focuses at all stations: in June, a summer crimes initiative; July, DUIs; and August, vehicle trespassing and larceny. The department’s county-wide Road Shark initiative, concentrating on aggressive driving, issued over 15,000 citations and warnings since March 2023.

While Morvillo, says the same level of vigilance continues for the area, some have observed noticeably fast action which suggests he has begun his focus on area complaints. For example, a car recently abandoned in the nearby park was tagged and ticketed within a day of reporting. A pull off used for semi-truck parking for years on a road to the I-95 landfill with significant littering occurrence now has new no parking signs posted. Morvillo already is out meeting members of the community, including attending National Night Out events, such as held in Newington Forest. He will have assistance with community outreach from Shirley Ginwright, whose focus is building strong community relationships and civic engagement. A past president of Fairfax County NAACP and Chair of the Communities of Trust committee, Ginwright, is now assisting police stations with events to educate the public about police responsibilities.

Morvillo, who says he, “is honored to be selected to serve,” is a 34 year veteran of the Fairfax County Police Department, starting as a patrol officer in Franconia District, part of the area under his new responsibility. He served in the retail theft and neighborhood patrol units unit his promotion to sergeant in 1995. He served in Fair Oaks and McLean Districts, with later promotions to Second, then First Lieutenant; then to his present rank of Captain. He worked in Internal Affairs, Inspection Division, the Crime Scene section, Intelligence Division, Cyber and Forensics Division, and as a Duty Officer. He holds a bachelor’s degree from George Mason University, earned after his education at Burke Secondary School on Burke Lake Road in Burke.