Assaults and auto thefts rose last year

Assaults and vehicle thefts have increased in 2021 in the Mason Police District, while drug/narcotic offenses and fraud have decreased, compared to the previous year.

That’s the key takeaway from a crime update by Mason Police Commander Capt. Sean Adcock at a meeting of the Community Advisory Committee March 1.

The assaults, including domestic violence, have mostly taken place in residences, which Adcock suspects could be due to stress caused by the Covid pandemic. The decrease in drug arrests is possibly due to the legalization of small amounts of marijuana.

There’s also been a slight increase in vandalism and vehicle break-ins, Adcock said.

Adcock urges residents to keep their cars locked and not keep valuables in their cars. Of the 22 vehicles stolen in the Mason Police District last year, only one was locked.

Members of the Simple City Crew from D.C. were arrested for auto thefts, he said. A criminal network in Mason District is also being investigated for auto thefts by the FCPD Major Crimes Bureau.

Some stolen autos have been recovered when people reported suspicious abandoned vehicles. If you see someone working on a car at 3 a.m., that’s suspicious, Adcock noted. “If it’s a lucrative business, it’s going to continue.”

There were four homicides in the Mason Police District in 2021, Adcock said:

• Two men were arrested in January for killing a man in Lincolnia.

• The police have “solid leads” on the 18-year-old fatally shot at the Fairmont Gardens apartments in Annandale in February.   

• The man who fatally stabbed a coworker at the Skyline Target in April turned himself in.

• A 19-year-year old was arrested in September for murdering his 78-year-old father. He buried the body in the backyard.

When asked why there hasn’t been an arrest yet in the homicide at an ATM on Annandale Road in October, Adcock says, “these things take time. We have to conduct a thorough investigation to have a successful prosecution.” That crime was not in the Mason Police District.

Related story: Police release new video on ATM murder; reward offered for tips

Larceny thefts, including thefts of high-dollar items by regional shoplifting crews, were in line with previous years, he said. Shoplifting has become more violent, as these incidents sometimes lead to confrontations with an employee.

Police have made some arrests in the string of commercial burglaries last year in partnership with D.C., Maryland, and other Virginia police departments.

The number of calls for service has “gone up significantly” last year, Adcock said. Many of those affected people under emotional stress at or near Inova Fairfax Hospital.

The proposed county budget for 2023 calls for nine new positions in the police department for mental health professionals to accompany police officers as they respond to people in crisis.

Now that more people are driving to work, Adcock says, there’s been an increase in speeding, failing to stop for school buses, and running red lights and stop signs.

The Mason station has 12 vacancies, as police recruiting is down in Fairfax County, reflecting a nationwide trend.

One vacancy is for the Mason crime prevention officer to replace MPO Eddy Azcarate who is retiring on April 1 after 25 years in law enforcement. Azcarate, a Marine veteran, has accepted a job as deputy regional advisor with the Secure Community Network.

Adcock lauded Azcarate at the CAC meeting, telling him: “You have been there for me from the moment I got here. You have a great connection with the community and with the officers. You are responsible for my success.”

Azcarate organized or participated in 200 events and activities in 2021, including food distribution events; home security evaluations; assessment surveys at churches, private schools, and communities; child safety seat inspections; trunk or treat events; “coffee with a cop” sessions; and a Gary Clause and pajama distribution party for children with Det. Gary Moore and the Bailey’s Crossroads Rotary Club.

The CAC named Moore Officer of the Quarter for his tenacity in investigating crimes that led to arrests.

Mason Supervisor Penny Gross briefly addressed the CAC meeting on the proposed 2023 budget for Fairfax County. She has heard from many constituents about the soaring real estate assessments, noting the assessments in one Mason District neighborhood are up an average of 25 percent.

The budget is based on the current tax rate of $1.14 per $100 of value. “We’re not going to do that,” Gross said. “I would like to lower it by at least 3 cents,” which would cost about $90 million.

Related story: McKay vows to reduce tax rate