My experience with Fairfax Police has always been exceptional. I have no personal beef with them.
But, in my 25 years living here I have seen Fairfax Police make some lethal mistakes and the Commonwealth Attorney has protected them from prosecution even when the County compensates the victim's families.
Law Enforcement works under the authority of THE PEOPLE and under the Board of Supervisors. We have a right and an obligation to ensure the people we entrust to carry out enforcement activities against THE PEOPLE do so in an appropriate manner. We have a right to argue about what is appropriate. In fact, that is exactly what this Police Commission is about. I spoke with at least two officers last night who fully support what the Police Commission is doing and embrace changes that would help them do their jobs according to the kind of policing THE PEOPLE expect.
Some in Law Enforcement think it is their job to tell THE PEOPLE to stay out of their business...and to..."Trust us, we know what we are doing." That works well when innocent people don't get killed, and when our rights are honored and we are treated with the respect the Constitution demands. And, 98% of the time that is true in Fairfax County. It is the 2% of the incidents and cases that require Law Enforcement to stand up to their mistakes, to their foul play, and to their overzealous use of force. It is that 2% that Fairfax County Law Enforcement needs to improve, and through what they learn with that 2%, improve Law Enforcement for the other 98%.
I thank police for their service and their courage and the willingness to do a sometimes gross and difficult job. But IMHO they need to learn to keep their muzzles off of citizens until they are actually a threat. From what I have seen in footage and in testimony Fairfax Police's first reaction is to get a muzzle on a suspect when no weapon is present or is even expected. Use of a gun has, in some cases, become a means to put a violent threat to force a citizen to comply with a simple command such as, "Show me your hands". Really, you need a gun pointed center mass to get a person to show their hands?
Cody