The Fairfax County Police Department, commonly referred to as FCPD, is the primary law enforcement agency serving Fairfax County, Virginia. The FCPD serves a population of approximately 1,170,033 residents within an area of approximately .
History
In the 1920s, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors began appointing road police, whose job it was to patrol the roads of Fairfax County and arrest traffic violators. In February 1932, the Board relinquished control of the county traffic police, and the four officers employed, Captain Haywood J. Durrer, Carl R. McIntosh, Louis L. Finks and Arthur W. Mills, became special officers and deputy sheriffs under Fairfax County Sheriff Eppa P. Kirby.
The Fairfax County Police Department came into existence July 1, 1940. Much of the credit for its establishment goes to the man who was then Fairfax County Sheriff, Eppa Kirby, a colorful character who never carried a gun. Overwhelmed with managing the inadequate county jail and law enforcement duties, Sheriff Kirby persuaded the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors to relieve him of his responsibilities for criminal police work by forming the police department. At the helm was Carl R. McIntosh, a deputy sheriff who became Fairfax County's first chief of police.
Chief McIntosh, five newly sworn police officers, and two clerks became the county's first police department employees. Three of the new officers were assigned to patrol the county's roads, while another was appointed detective sergeant. With far-reaching insight into what would eventually become one of the department's main areas of concern, Chief McIntosh appointed the fifth officer, John A. Millan as traffic sergeant on motorcycle patrol. Millan resigned shortly thereafter to accept a position as a revenue enforcement agent with the US Treasury Department's Prohibition Bureau."Fifty Years Behind the Badge," (FCPD PIO, 1990)
A 1955 expansion authorized as part of the county budget allowed the creation of the department's juvenile bureau, headed by Detective David Eike, and its traffic division, headed by Lieutenant Lewis Shumate. Additionally, the department's detective bureau was consolidated at the FCPD headquarters in Fairfax under Lieutenant Grafton G. Wells and expanded with three new detectives.
William L. Durrer was appointed as acting chief of police in June 1957 by Fairfax County Executive Carlton C. Massey due to the illness of Chief McIntosh. Following Chief McIntosh's resignation in August, Durrer was appointed chief on October 30, 1957.
Joyce A. Harvell was sworn in as the FCPD's first female police officer in July 1957, working with the FCPD's Juvenile Bureau.
In July 1967, Christopher Stokes was hired as the department's first black policeman.
During the 2024 Paris Olympics, FCPD sent 12 officers and an explosive detection canine to help with security in Paris.
Accreditation The department achieved its third re-accreditation from the Virginia Law Enforcement Professional Standards Commission in June 2009. Fairfax County is the first police department in the Commonwealth of Virginia to accomplish this milestone.
Organization The current Chief of Police is Kevin Davis who was appointed on April 23, 2021. The three main commands within the department are Administration, Investigations, and Operations, each commanded by a Deputy Chief. The Internal Affairs Bureau, Public Affairs Bureau, and Community Engagement and Equity reports directly to the Chief. The Planning and Research Bureau is commanded by the Executive Deputy Chief.
I. The Investigations Command make up the primary investigative branch of the Department and is divided into specializations: Major Crimes (murder, sex crimes, assault, robbery, vehicle theft, financial crimes, and crimes against children), Organized Crime and Narcotics, Criminal Intelligence, and Investigative Support (crime scene, fingerprints, etc.).
II. The Administration Command contains the Fairfax County Criminal Justice Academy, the Administrative Services Bureau, and the Resource Management Bureau.
The Fairfax County Criminal Justice Academy trains recruits and prepares officers through constant, updated training and conducts the Citizen's Police Academy.
III. The Operations Command make up the vast majority of patrol officers that operate out of the nine district stations, which are as follows: Mason District McLean District Mount Vernon District Fair Oaks District Franconia District Reston District Sully District West Springfield District Lorton District
The Operations Command also contains the Operation Support Bureau which houses the Motorcycle Squad, SWAT, K-9 Section, Explosive Ordinance Disposal (EOD), and Helicopter Unit.
Officers in the Motor Section keep traffic moving and control traffic at major incidents and crash scenes. They rely almost exclusively on Harley-Davidson motorcycles to get to the source of traffic problems. Specially trained and certified officers assigned to the Motor Carrier Safety Section inspect trucks and commercial vehicles for safety and legal regulations. They can take unsafe vehicles off the roads; by placing them out of service. The Crash Reconstruction Unit provides technical expertise and has investigative responsibility for all fatal crashes. The Traffic Safety Services Section acts as the department's coordination point for all regional and departmental traffic enforcement and safety education programs. Traffic Enforcement Officers address parking issues.
Animal Protection Police officers are part of the Operations Command and are specially trained law enforcement officers who investigate dog bites and attacks and complaints of animal cruelty. They respond to emergencies involving sick or injured domestic and wild animals. They enforce county codes and state laws pertaining to animals. They remove strays from the community, often impounding them at the Fairfax County Animal Shelter where many can be reunited with their owners or adopted by new owners.
Rank structure RankInsigniaDescriptionShirt ColorChief of PoliceChief of Police is in charge of the entire departmentWhite/GreyExecutive Assistant ChiefExecutive Assistant Chief is second in commandWhite/GreyAssistant Chief of PoliceThe Assistant Chief is in charge of several bureausWhite/GreyDeputy Chief of PoliceDeputy Chief Of Police is in charge of a bureauWhite/GreyPolice MajorPolice Majors are District Station/Division CommandersWhite/GreyPolice CaptainPolice Captains are District Station /Division Assistant CommandersWhite/GreyPolice First LieutenantFormerly assistant district or division commander; rank no longer used as of 2024.White/GreyPolice Second LieutenantSecond Lieutenants are in charge of a patrol Shift within a district or serve as a staff officers.GreyPolice SergeantSergeants are Patrol shift/Section SupervisorGreyMaster Police OfficerCareer Progression, based on service & promotional process. Typically, are field training officers.GreyPolice Officer First ClassCareer Progression, automatic after 2 years of satisfactory service.GreyPolice Officer IICareer Progression, automatic after 1 year of satisfactory service.GreyPolice Officer IStatus upon graduating the police academyGrey
Proposed Changes
Source:
In 2016 FCPD underwent an extensive "public safety review" process. The presentation released following the conclusion of the process recommended several changes in FCPD rank and organizational structure. Among the recommendations are:
Phase out the Second Lieutenant rank as those officers retire or are promoted, eventually removing the rank altogether. First-line patrol supervision would be made up of two Sergeants per shift per district, each commanding squads of around 6 officers. A single Lieutenant rank would replace the two current lieutenant ranks. Second-line supervision would consist of four Lieutenants, two for day and two for night, in the district station, rather than the current system in which the district Captain and district First Lieutenant are responsible for all second-line supervision. The senior Lieutenant would serve as Assistant District Commander. A separate Recruit rank is suggested, which would be retained during the probationary period. Non-supervisory ranks (currently POI, POII, and MPO) would be altered to provide wider opportunities for career progression, with a rank similar to Corporal in other agencies being considered. The highest non-supervisory rank, currently Master Police Officer, would have the authority to act as a supervisor in the absence of a Sergeant or higher-ranking officer. Dedicated detective ranks, or pay grades, are suggested, rather than the current system in which officers are simply assigned to detective duties. In early 2024, with no official announcement, FCPD made major changes to its rank structure, with the Chief of Police going from a colonel's insignia to 4 stars, the Executive Deputy Chief and Deputy Chiefs changing their titles to Executive Assistant Chief and Assistant Chief with three stars and two stars respectively, Major becoming Deputy Chiefs, First Lieutenants becoming Captains, and the rank of First Lieutenant being removed.
Helicopter Division
The Helicopter Division was initially formed in 1972 with the donation of an Enstrom F-28 helicopter by a local businessman. It suspended operation in 1975. In 1983, the Division was reformed as a full-time operation with two Bell 206 Jet Rangers. Formerly based out of Dulles Airport, it is now based out of the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Training Academy on West Ox Road. It provided aeromedical transportation, traffic reporting and airborne law enforcement capabilities to the growing metropolitan area. The around the clock staffing consisting of a Pilot, Police Officer/Paramedic and a Flight Nurse from Inova Fairfax Hospital. In 1991, Inova Fairfax separated from the Helicopter Division at which time the Flight Nurse was replaced with a second Police Officer/Paramedic. This is the crew configuration with which the Helicopter Division still flies today. In 1997, the Division grew to a more capable and robust helicopter, the Bell 407. In 2011, the Division purchased its first Bell 429. The purchase of the Bell 429 made the Division the first multi-mission operator in the world to utilize this new airframe. Modern design characteristics of the Bell 429 allow adaptation to future missions needs, reduced/simplified maintenance, as well as improved longevity/service lifetime. Some of the highlights of the Bell 429 are twin engine redundancy, military grade sensors, night vision goggle technology and a lower noise signature which allow for safe and neighborly helicopter operations.
Urbanization The continued urbanization of the county creates additional impacts on the ability of the department to provide service to the community. The department is studying the impacts of the proposed redevelopment of Tysons Corner, and other projects throughout the county that will result in more transit-oriented land use patterns. As a result of preliminary impact assessments of ongoing and future development patterns in the county, the department anticipates a future need to create two new patrol districts, while realigning existing districts to accommodate the demands created by this anticipated growth. The Patrol Bureau is developing mechanisms for predicting the level of staffing that may be required in the future to meet these challenges while maintaining service quality.
Equipment Fairfax County Police carry the Glock 17 as their on-duty firearm.