Faced with growing public criticism, Police Chief Davis vows to listen to community on racial bias and SROs

FCPD Police Chief Kevin Davis [Reston Now]

Fairfax County’s new police chief, Kevin Davis, promised to listen to community concerns about racial bias on the police force and step up training. “I’m committed to diversity,” Davis said during a meeting of the Police Civilian Review Panel May 26. 

After Davis started the job, on May 10, he has faced growing criticism over several events earlier in his career. As a police officer in Prince George’s County, Davis lost two lawsuits filed by use-of-force victims. As Baltimore’s police chief, he imposed a six-day lockdown of a neighborhood in 2017 subjecting residents to searches without warrants.  

A petition urging Davis to be recalled was signed by over 1,670 people. The Fairfax County Democratic Committee (FCDC) passed a resolution May 25 urging the Board of Supervisors to fire Davis and reopen the search for a new police chief. 

The Democratic members of the BoS sent a letter to the FCDC May 20 reiterating their support for Davis, citing his “demonstrated ability to implement reform under the most difficult circumstances and in the face of fierce opposition.” 

“We take those incidents and that concern seriously, but believe that his commitment to robust community outreach and to advancing a comprehensive reform agenda will ensure that Fairfax County continues to lead the nation in progressive police and criminal justice reform,” the letter states. 

During the Police Civilian Review Panel meeting, panel member Shirley Norman-Taylor confronted Davis, saying, “There are plenty of people in this community concerned about how you’re going to ensure that your officers don’t make some of the same mistakes you’ve acknowledged you’ve made.” She told Davis she advises her 21-year-old African American son to avoid driving at night and risk a traffic stop that could lead to violence.

“I’ve always gone out of my way to ensure I’m grounded in other people’s experiences,” Davis responded. 

Related story: Petition seeks recall of new police chief Kevin Davis

He promised to listen to the community and said, “My intention is to be a police chief you can be proud of.” 

Earlier this week, he told the Board of Supervisors’ Public Safety Committee he plans to implement a new policy to scale back police pursuits. 

More training needed

After attending roll calls at several police stations, Davis said he met young police officers who love the profession and love the community but have concerns about procedural justice, due process, and fairness. 

“I tell them that’s what the community wants,” he told the panel. A police department works best when it has “a redemptive mindset.” 

“I won’t hesitate to fire an officer,” Davis said. “There are bright lines in terms of performance and conduct.” He called it “despicable” that police officers participated in the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 and said FCPD will examine social media to identify officers who reveal racism or other biases.  

Davis also agreed to expand training in peer intervention to ensure officers step up when they see a colleague doing something wrong or acting disrespectfully. 

“I’ve seen what real reform looks like,” said Davis about his experiences in policing in mostly Black Baltimore and Prince George’s County. Both those police departments were under consent decrees due to racially biased policing practices.

Under Davis, the Baltimore police department stopped arresting people for misdemeanor possession of drugs if they agree to accept wraparound services for drug abuse. He said people who are mentally ill or have a developmental disability or behavior crisis should be given help, not incarcerated. 

Fairfax County is working with the 911 center to send a mental health specialist on a crisis call with a police officer, Davis noted. 

Are SROs necessary? 

In response to concerns about school resource officers (SROs) and whether students of color are more likely to be disciplined, Davis said “we’re taking our cue from the community.” 

If elected officials and community members think SROs are not in line with their values, “Fairfax County has to have a serious conversation about the future of SROs.” Davis said he is willing to take direction from the community on whether SROs should stay or not or if their role needs to be reimagined. 

“Our A++ officers have to be the ones that serve as SROs; we have to get those assignments right,” he said. SROs have to build trust and de-escalate situations. “They should not be acting in enforcement mode.”

According to Davis, the police department started procedural justice and implicit bias training a couple of weeks ago for the entire police force, including SROs. 

Related story: Public engagement, transparency lacking in selection of new police chief, NAACP charges

A member of the public who called in to the meeting asked about accountability when training is not implemented, noting that an SRO used a chokehold on a 5-year-old after such practices were abolished.  

Davis said he is hiring a new data manager who will report on SRO performance in schools, as well as crime, arrests, traffic stops, use of force, and other data – and monitor whether there is a disproportionate impact of police actions against people of color. 

A call for more oversight

The Police Civilian Review Panel was established by the BoS “to enhance police legitimacy and build trust among community members and law enforcement,” said the panel’s acting chair, James Bierman. 

The panel reviews investigations into police misconduct or abuse of authority and makes recommendations on police policies and practices. However, it doesn’t have disciplinary or subpoena power and can’t conduct its own investigations. 

Bierman would like to see the panel be assigned a full-time executive director and be given more authority to conduct investigations, monitor racial bias complaints, and issue subpoenas.

Davis said those decisions would be made by the Board of Supervisors, and he would support whatever direction the board goes on this. 

“We as a profession deserve and merit scrutiny because we can do things no one else can do,” such as use deadly force and charge someone with a crime, Davis said. “I’m willing to have difficult and courageous conversations. . . . “Reform makes us better. Scrutiny makes us better.”