After helming the county's SWAT team for four years, Capt. Maggie DeBoard has taken the reins of the Franconia District for the Fairfax County Police Department.
DeBoard, an 18-year veteran of the FCPD, transferred to Franconia District from her post as commander of the county’s Special Operations Division.
“I want to spend some time learning the community, finding out where the problems are, and then taking the time to see how I can deploy the resources here to best address the problems,” said DeBoard, who lives in Fairfax Station with her husband and two children.
DeBoard's work with the Special Operations Division meant overseeing the county’s Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team, bomb squad, K-9 unit, Civil Disturbance, and Underwater Search and Recovery Unit.
Mike LoMonaco, commander of the Operations Support Bureau, which overseas the Special Operations Division, said that to command the division, DeBoard had to achieve certification as a SWAT officer, as well as graduate from SWAT commander school.
"She was dynamic … very proactive and hands-on," said LoMonaco. "She would be out front of issues. She would not look how to arrest someone, but how to stop the problem," he said.
DeBoard said she found her work with the Special Operations Division very satisfying.
“When you go somewhere and things are chaotic, and you have a lot of serious threats and issues, and you can go there … and fix it, and make things better and walk away without people getting hurt, it’s an absolutely wonderful feeling,” said DeBoard, who spent four years with Special Operations Division
A NATIVE of Prince George’s County, Md., DeBoard joined the force while a student at George Mason University. Her first assignment was on patrol in the West Springfield District, and DeBoard gradually ascended the ranks, through stops in the Mount Vernon and Mason districts. She also worked for four years as an undercover officer in the county’s Narcotics Division.
"(Captain DeBoard) has demonstrated great judgment throughout her career. She is level-headed; and has the kind of solid experience that has prepared her well for station command," said Fairfax County Police chief David Rohrer. "I anticipate she will be a strong advocate for the men and women assigned to Franconia Station and that she will work closely with members of the community to address their issues or concerns."
DeBoard also currently helms the county’s Civil Disturbance Unit, which is trained to deal with issues of crowd control. Along with over 100 Fairfax County officers, she assisted with security at the Jan. 20 Presidential Inauguration in Washington, D.C.
Although she has spent less than a month based in Franconia, DeBoard said her approach won't change from her other positions.
“I love the variety, the very active, hands-on jobs. I try to avoid desk jobs if I can, which is not always an easy thing to do. I’m hoping to spend a lot of my time out in the community assisting my officers and getting to see the community,” she said.