Capt. Rogers appointed commander of Mason Police District
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The Mason Police District is getting another new commander, just seven months after Capt. Christian Quinn started the job.
The new commander, Capt. Thomas James Rogers, was previously the staff duty officer in charge of nighttime patrols for the Fairfax County Police Department. Before that, he was commander of the helicopter unit and had been a patrol officer at the Mason station from 1991 to 2000.
Quinn was promoted to the position of major and will be in charge of the patrol bureau for Area 3, which includes the West Springfield, Franconia, and Mount Vernon police districts.
“I will miss this district terribly,” Quinn said at the Sept. 6 meeting of the Mason Police District’s Citizen Advisory Committee. “Mason is the best police district. I have genuinely loved working here.”
Quinn gave a brief update on some of the major crimes he’s been dealing with in Mason this summer.
- The FCPD’s tactical assets units were deployed Sept. 2 when a man in crisis barricaded himself inside his home on Lincolnia Road and threatened to hurt himself.
The standoff went on for hours, as traffic was diverted away from the area. There were reports that the man had weapons inside the home and had received specialized weapons training, although he had not served in the U.S. military, Quinn said.
Eventually, the man came out and surrendered and he was taken to the Merrifield Center for mental health services. No one was hurt, and “everything worked like it was supposed to,” Quinn said.
- A tragic domestic incident in June brought a huge police response to Beverly Drive in Annandale after a father killed his daughter. The daughter, her husband, and children lived in the home, along with her parents.
During the incident, the police used Fairfax County’s reverse 911 system to call residents within a half-mile radius and urge them to stay inside. Once the suspect was taken into custody, neighbors got another call giving them the all clear.
- Also this summer, police from the Mason station arrested two men for the murder of a man at the Skyline Towers in February. Both are from Woodbridge, and they knew the victim.
- In an active investigation, police are seeking suspects who stole credit card information from gas station customers by attaching a skimmer to a pump at the Exxon station at Gallows Road and Holly Road. This had been going on for several weeks. That station has old-style gas pumps that allow a skimmer to be easily inserted and hidden so it wasn’t readily noticeable.
The website for the Mason Police District has been overhauled, and has more information on parking, traffic, crime reporting, door-to-door solicitors, the noise ordinance, how to dispose of firearms, the helicopter’s current missions, and other issues.
6 responses to “Capt. Rogers appointed commander of Mason Police District”
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Boy we cant seem to keep anyone here. LOL!!!
The check list for how to totally screw up a District has a box that reads: "Change the police commander every year". Box checked. Oh, and another box says require all citizens filing an Internal Affairs complaint to first meet with the offending officers' immediate superior before a file is opened. A guarantee complaint process killer. That box is checked too. Really. Who knew. Just another way of juking the stats and eroding public confidence it our local police department. Ellie, please check my facts on that.
This Rogers fellow started in 1991, he should be retiring soon after 25 years of employment. So the revolving door continues to spin.
I don't understand why this station changes its captains every few months. There is the perception that something is not quite right. Why do captains want to get out as soon as possible. Sometimes it's a promotion but to get out a lateral is fine too.
Captain Quinn was a good manager, however, he caved in to Penny when she decided the homeless shelter should go in the middle of a residential area and senior center. He started out honest in his assessments of what happens in and around a homeless shelter for single adults, but shortly after, started hedging his bets. He would not say again what he said in the first meeting. He knew he better fall in line if he valued his career. He never gave an impact statement to the residents or the Planning Commission. It makes me sad and mad that we, the residents, are duped over and over again. It's Penny's way or the highway.
Ain't that the truth.
Because like many of us the police captains can only stomach so much time of the Mason Dump. And like most dumps one can only hold off the stench before becoming sick.