Body cameras, mental health part of public
safety focus
By Tim Peterson
Fairfax County — This year will see two
historic firsts for Fairfax County, its police department and citizens: the
beginning work of an Office of Police Auditor and Civilian Review Panel. The
auditor will review police use of force cases and internal investigations of
those incidents, while the panel will review other citizen complaints of police
misconduct and abuse of power.
Both bodies were recommendations from the Ad
Hoc Police Practices Review Commission, a panel created by Board of Supervisors
chairman Sharon Bulova largely in response to public frustration and anger over
the lack of transparency and accountability after the 2013 shooting of unarmed
Springfield man John Geer in the doorway of his home by then-Fairfax County
Police officer Adam Torres.
A committee appointed by Bulova is reviewing
six candidates who topped the applicants list.
For the civilian review panel, invitations to
nominate members have been sent to dozens of community groups, including
minority organizations, disability services, interfaith groups and others that
were part of the Election Process Improvement Commission. Each supervisor may
also make nominations. Public Safety Committee chair supervisor John Cook
(R-Braddock) said the full board will review all the nominations in closed
session Feb. 14.
Supervisor Pat Herrity (R-Springfield) fully
supported the auditor position but has been critical of the need for a civilian
review panel -- he was the only supervisor to vote against its creation.
Looking ahead at 2017 though, Herrity said “my
expectation and hope for both is they’re going to confirm our police department
is doing a very good job.”
Randy Sayles of Oak Hill was a member of the
Use of Force subcommittee of the Ad Hoc Commission. Sayles spent more than 35
years in law enforcement with the Denver Police Department and Drug Enforcement
Administration. He said he is very optimistic both the auditor’s office and
civilian review panel will be beneficial to the supervisors, police and
citizens.
Sayles said from what he’s seen, “There’s a
sense there can be be real improvement and transparency, not just lip service.”
In choosing the members of the panel, Sayles
said it’s crucial the supervisors go with people who won’t allow bias to
corrupt the review process.
“It’s
very important people picked deal with facts, demand facts and make decisions
based on facts,” Sayles said, “and communicate those in a way that’s not
divisive.
“Try to
get a diversity of people,” Sayles said. “But ultimately, pick people who are
willing to be fair, no matter what. It can be a difficult thing to do.”
ANOTHER SIGNIFICANT AND CONTENTIOUS RECOMMENDATION
from the Ad Hoc commission is the implementation of police officer-worn body
cameras. Herrity said the supervisors are set to approve a new pilot program
this month.
“They
are absolutely important,” Herrity said. “This is something our police department
supports, our citizens support. We should go ahead and get it done now.”
Herrity said the estimated cost for getting
body cameras up and running on police in Fairfax County is $30 million. The
pilot, he said, will last for several months. He’s asked that it include two
different vendors and be done at stations in two magisterial districts.
SUPERVISOR COOK said another public safety
priority is taking next steps with the Diversion First program, which is set up
to prevent people with mental illness or developmental disabilities from going
to jail for nonviolent offenses.
Coordinating more with the court system is an
important issue, Cook said.
“We
really need a sea change in how we think about mental illness,” said Cook, “to
recognize it serves a public safety purpose as well to get people treatment. If
you just throw them in jail, 80 percent of the time, something else happens,
they’re going back in.”
The next meeting of the board’s Public Safety
Committee is scheduled for Jan. 31 at 3 p.m. at the Fairfax County Government
Center, 12000 Government Center Parkway in Fairfax.
