Washington Post/ Letters to the Editor
In Fairfax, accountability goes only so far
March 9
The axes are predictably falling in Fairfax C ounty’s mishandling of the police shooting of John Geer [“ Fairfax official’s ouster sought ,” Metro, March 6]. Equally predictable: They are falling on subordinates rather than the primary officials.
There is more than enough blame to go around for keeping the details of the Geer shooting secret and inadequately addressed for more than one year. But the targeted official, Cynthia Tianti, is a deputy county attorney. The man she reports to, the county’s chief legal adviser, David P. Bobzien, is being permitted to retire at his leisure after he “reorganizes” the office for which he has been responsible for 20 years.
According to County Supervisor John C. Cook (R-Braddock), the team investigating Geer’s killing “was operating without much input from the county attorney, and that shouldn’t be.” If Ms. Tianti is culpable in the handling of the case, surely Mr. Bobzien is at least equally so. So why should the county choose him to reorganize the office?
Nor are we hearing anything about Commonwealth’s Attorney Raymond F. Morrogh (D), who claims he was frustrated by the county in his investigation, a laughable assertion given the powers inherent in his office. Similarly, nothing has been said about the tenure of Police Chief Edwin C. Roessler Jr. or Deputy County Executive David M. Rohrer, who oversees the police department. Regardless of their culpability, Fairfax County can never regain its reputation as a great place to live and work unless changes are made there as well.
Burton Jay Rubin, Burke