BY JEFF GOLDBERG, ABC7 TUESDAY,
JULY 19TH 2016
Fairfax County Police Chief Ed
Roessler says he and his department are committed to greater transparency, and
admits that he and others can do better. In a meeting Tuesday at the Fairfax
County Government Center, the chief expressed support for the findings of the
Ad Hoc review commission calling for greater oversight and accountability of
police practices in Fairfax County.
The commission was created in the
wake of the fatal police shooting of John Geer nearly three years ago. Last
month, officer Adam Torres was sentenced to a year in jail for the killing.
On Tuesday night, Chief Roessler
released findings from all the departments “use-of-force cases” in 2015, a
total of 539 incidents. The report reveals that more than 40 percent of the
use-of-force cases involved African-Americans, who only make up 8 percent of
the county’s population. The chief says the disparity in the numbers is a
problem that must be addressed and improved upon.
In September 2016, the county
board will consider hiring an auditor to oversee and review practices and
incidents of the police department.
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