I am writing in regards to the article titled “Fairfax County Names First Independent Police Auditor” by Tim Peterson. To be completely honest, before I read this piece I did not know the police auditor position existed.
Richard Schott, as the first independent individual appointed to the position, has a great deal of power, including the abilities to monitor and review internal investigations where an individual is either seriously injured or killed and request further investigations if he does not believe the internal investigation was thorough enough. It is extremely rational and logical to have an individual that is not personally connected to the department in this position so he (or she) is not restricted by any particular agency or institution and is able to see the situation for what it is.
One point that I found to be very interesting was the creation of the citizen review panel. I am curious as to how this will actually play out, but in theory it sounds like a very good idea. Fairfax County is letting the people have a voice. By getting people not directly involved in the police force in Fairfax County, but rather directly affected, allows a different perspective when looking at cases regarding abuse of power. This will allow for more transparency of the police force which will be greatly appreciated by the public. However, I am not sure as to how welcoming the police will be of these newcomers. Sometimes it takes fresh eyes to look at a situation for all parts of it to be recognized, rather than only focusing on select aspects. It is very important for there to be transparency of the system; the people have a right to know what is happening.
Jennifer Kirk
James Madison University 2019