By Times Staff
On Feb. 28, the Fairfax County
Board of Supervisors appointed nine Fairfax County residents to serve on the
newly established Police Civilian Review Panel. The creation of a Civilian
Review Panel was recommended by the Ad Hoc Police Practices Review Commission
in their October 2015 final report to the Board of Supervisors.
“The Police Civilian Review Panel
will promote further transparency and openness in community policing,” Chairman
Sharon Bulova said. “Each appointed member will bring a valuable perspective,
extensive knowledge and years of community involvement to the table. Together
with their impressive skillsets, this group of individuals will set the bar
high for how the Civilian Review Panel will operate. I am very proud of our
Fairfax County Police Department. This Panel will contribute toward making us a
model of excellence for the nation.”
The Civilian Review Panel will
act as an independent avenue or “portal” for residents to submit complaints
concerning allegations of abuse of authority or misconduct by a Fairfax County
Police (FCPD) Officer. The Panel will also have the authority to request and
review completed Police Department internal administrative investigations
regarding a civilian complaint against an officer. The Panel may hold public
meetings to review police administrative investigations and walk through with
members of the community how the investigation was conducted, including
findings of fact, evidence collected and witness statements. Examples of
complaints and cases for the Civilian Review Panel to receive and review may
include:
• The use of abusive, racial,
ethnic or sexual language;
• Harassment or discrimination
based on race, color, sex, religion, national origin, marital status, age,
familial status, or disability;
• The reckless endangerment of a
detainee or person in custody;
• Serious violations of Fairfax
County or FCPD procedures
The Civilian Review Panel will
not address potentially criminal use of force or police-involved shootings.
Cases of that magnitude would likely involve an investigation by the
Commonwealth’s Attorney and would be monitored by the newly hired Police
Auditor, Richard G. Schott.
The Board of Supervisors has
appointed Adrian Steel to serve as the first chairman of the Civilian Review
Panel. All subsequent chairmen will be selected by members of the Civilian
Review Panel in a manner that will be determined by the Panel’s bylaws. Panel
members will serve three year terms with a two term limit, although some
inaugural members will serve for less time to allow for staggered terms.
The first orders of business for
the Civilian Review Panel include writing bylaws detailing how the Panel will
function, and training Panel members on current police practices and policies
in Fairfax County. Once those items are complete, which may take a number of
months, the Civilian Review Panel will begin their work of requesting and
reviewing cases.
See below for the names and short
bios of the Police Civilian Review Panel Members (in alphabetical order):
• Hansel Aguilar, Fairfax
Mr. Aguilar, originally from
Honduras, investigates allegations of police misconduct at the D.C. Office of
Police Complaints. Mr. Aguilar is a former police officer for the George Mason
University Police Department and previously worked as a case manager and
internal investigator for Youth for Tomorrow. He has served with the Vinson
Hall Retirement Community in McLean and with the Fairfax County Office for
Women & Domestic and Sexual Violence Services. Mr. Aguilar is bilingual in
Spanish and English and believes that oversight is an important tenet of
maintaining justice and equality in a democratic society.
• Kathleen Davis-Siudut, Springfield
Ms. Davis-Siudut has spent the
past 15 years providing training as well policy development and implementation
in the areas of sexual violence, human trafficking, and cultural diversity. Ms.
Davis-Siudut is of Korean descent and has previously worked for the National
Underground Railroad Freedom Center, Polaris Project, and the US Marine Corps.
She currently works with the Air Force as a sexual assault prevention and
response subject matter expert.
• Steve Descano, Springfield
During his six years as a federal
prosecutor, Mr. Descano led numerous investigations conducted by FBI, IRS and
USPIS agents. While at the Department of Justice, he analyzed documentary
evidence, interviewed witnesses, and reviewed the investigatory work of agents
and other prosecutors. Mr. Descano currently works as Chief Operating Officer
and General Counsel for Paragon Autism Services and serves on the Criminal
Justice Committee of the Fairfax County NAACP. Mr. Descano also serves on the
Fairfax County Trails and Sidewalks Committee, is a graduate of West Point, and
was nominated by the Fairfax County NAACP to serve on the Civilian Review
Panel.
• Hollye Doane, Oakton
A Fairfax County resident for
more than 30 years, Ms. Doane spent most of her career as an attorney in
Washington D.C. representing an array of clients, including the National Down
Syndrome Society and Down Syndrome Research and Treatment Foundation. Ms. Doane
has been an advocate for the disability community for more than 20 years and
understands the importance of building positive relationships between law
enforcement officers and people with disabilities. Her experience as a
journalist prior to attending law school gave her an appreciation for clear,
timely and transparent communication between government officials and the
community. After her retirement, Ms. Doane trained as a mediator and
facilitator and currently serves as a lay pastoral minister in her church.
• Douglas Kay, Fairfax
Mr. Kay is a trial lawyer who has
handled civil litigation, criminal defense and personal injury cases for over
20 years. He currently focuses his practice on commercial litigation matters.
As a criminal defense attorney, he has represented individuals charged with
everything from simple traffic matters to the most serious felony offenses in
state and federal courts. Mr. Kay previously served as a judge advocate in the
U.S. Navy and Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney for Fairfax County. A lifelong
Fairfax County resident, Mr. Kay attended Fairfax County Public Schools,
coaches his son’s youth basketball team, and served on Fairfax County’s Ad Hoc
Police Practices Review Commission. Mr. Kay was nominated to serve on the
Civilian Review Panel by the South Fairfax Chamber of Commerce and the Fairfax
Bar Association.
• Randy Sayles, Oak Hill
Mr. Sayles has over 35 years of
law enforcement and criminal investigations experience. He worked as a Federal
Agent for the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), U.S. Department of
Justice (DOJ), and served as a police officer for the Denver, Colorado Police
Department. Mr. Sayles enjoys giving back to the community by volunteering for
the Clean Fairfax Council and Creekside Homeowners Association, and was the
recipient of a Fairfax County 2016 Environmental Excellence Award for removing
800 bags of trash and over 1200 illegal signs along nine miles of Centreville
Road. Mr. Sayles served as a member of Fairfax County’s Ad Hoc Police Practices
Review Commission and has continued to work with the Board of Supervisors and
Fairfax County Police to implement the Commission’s recommendations.
• Jean Senseman, Lorton
Ms. Senseman is a licensed
clinical social worker who has spent many years working with clients who
experience mental illness, PTSD and substance use disorders. Ms. Senseman has
worked in private practice providing treatment and therapy for individuals
young and old who experience a wide variety of mental health disorders. Ms.
Senseman taught at George Washington University Medical School and volunteers
for her Condo Association Finance Committee. Previously, Ms. Senseman worked at
the Woodburn Community Mental Health Center and at the Bailey’s Crossroads
Community Shelter helping residents of all socio-economic backgrounds receive
mental health treatment.
• Adrian L. Steel, Jr., McLean (Chairman)
Mr. Steel served on Fairfax
County’s Ad Hoc Police Practices Review Commission and has continued to work
with the Board of Supervisors to implement the Commission’s recommendations.
Mr. Steel has been appointed by the Board of Supervisors to serve as the first
chairman of the Police Civilian Review Panel. Mr. Steel has demonstrated
extensive knowledge and a strong commitment regarding 21st Century police
policies and best practices, including civilian oversight. Mr. Steel currently
works as a senior counsel at Mayer Brown LLP where he has practiced law for
over 35 years, and previously served as Special Assistant to FBI Director,
William H. Webster.
• Rhonda VanLowe, Reston
Ms. VanLowe was appointed to the
Governor’s Taskforce for Improving Mental Health Services and Crisis Response
and served on the Public Safety workgroup. She has devoted much of her
community service work to serving those with unique physical, mental,
emotional, intellectual or cognitive backgrounds. Ms. VanLowe practiced law in
law firm and corporate settings, served as Board Chair of The Northern Virginia
Therapeutic Riding Program, Inc., and received the National Women of Color
Special Recognition Award at the 2008 STEM Conference. Ms. VanLowe is a 36-year
resident of Fairfax County and looks forward to working together with members
of the Panel to develop procedures that will set the foundational tone and
tenor for the work of the Panel.