Fairmont Gardens residents worry about crime, drugs, and children’s safety

Residents of Fairmont Gardens are concerned about crime, drug abuse, keeping children and teens safe, and fear of retaliation if they call the police.

Those are the major themes that emerged at a Town Hall convened on April 18 by the Opportunity Neighborhoods–Annandale program.

Nearly 70 people showed up to hear from county, school, and police officials about how to help their children succeed and be safe – while enjoying dinner contributed by Seva Food Truck and Chick-fil-A.

The vast majority live at Fairmont Gardens, but the event also drew a few residents of the Parliaments, the Wedgewood, and other Annandale apartment complexes.

The ON-Annandale program engages residents in determining their community’s needs and helps them take action to make improvements, said Nayely Lopez of FACETS, the nonprofit that runs the program for the Fairfax County Department of Neighborhood and Community Services (NCS).  

Crime victims

Several people complained about crime, but said they aren’t comfortable calling the police. One member of the audience said they’ve been stopped on the street by youths asking for money. Someone else said he feels threatened by youths hanging out under the stairs in his building.

Another resident said a man looked in her window when she was taking a bath. “The police asked me to identify him. Now he knows I called the police. That’s why people are afraid to call the police.”

Crime Prevention Officer Stacy Sassano said it’s important to call the police when you see something suspicious because “we have limited resources and spend more time in a community that reports crimes.”

When you call the police, you don’t have to give your name, she said. “But if you don’t give your name, we can’t follow up with more questions about what happened.”

Lt. Erin Weeks, the acting commander of the Mason Police District spoke about a recent initiative targeting the crime-ridden Fairmont Gardens apartments this winter. The effort led to 85 people being charged with 137 crimes.

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The FCPD would like to see the troublemakers evicted from Fairmont Gardens, Weeks said. “Our ultimate goal is to work together as a community to solve these problems.” 

A parent at the town hall complained about fights and vaping in middle school bathrooms and said more staff monitoring is needed.

Luther Jackson Middle School Principal Raven Jones said students used to have a fight club in the bathrooms and post videos to websites that paid them for content.

Now, adults are stationed outside bathrooms and monitor the hallways, and some bathrooms are closed when there isn’t adult cover, Jones said. She also added a second school security officer.

Chronic absenteeism

Both Jones and Falls Church High School Principal Benjamin Nowak spoke about the importance of school attendance.

Chronic absenteeism – which Jones said means missing two days a month or 28 days a year – leads to students falling behind academically. And that threatens their ability to graduate on time, Nowak added.

Elementary students who miss that much school are 50 percent less likely to read and write by the third grade, Jones said. “If they don’t learn to read and write by the third grade, by the time they get to seventh grade, they will be five levels behind.”

“Schools have to be welcoming places where students want to learn,” Jones said. To motivate students to come to school, “we do a lot of engagement with students. We give them a voice in what they learn and how they learn.”

At Falls Church, teams work on nonacademic issues, such as mental health and chronic absenteeism, Nowak said. When students miss a lot of school, counselors develop plans to address the underlying issues, such as students who have to work or feel threatened at school.

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Kelvin Claytor of NCS said students who participate in afterschool programs are more likely to attend school, do well academically, and stay out of trouble.

Afterschool programs run by NCS provide homework help, experiences with the arts and technology, and opportunities to make friends and build social skills. These programs give parents peace of mind, as they know their children are in a safe environment.

Claytor encouraged parents to enroll their kids in a summer program, such as VIP Camp (Value in Prevention) for rising middle school students at Holmes Middle School or Camp Fairfax, a summer program for students in grades 1-7 at Braddock, Camelot, and Weyanoke elementary schools; the James Lee Community Center; and the Willston Multicultural Center.

The NCS runs the Teens in Action program at local community centers. The Boys and Girls Club at the Annandale Community Center also has afterschool and summer programs for children and teens.

Many of those programs offer scholarships and some provide transportation.

Dealing with trauma

One reason youths avoid school and turn to substance abuse is because they’ve been traumatized by experiencing violence or another scary situation, said Andrew Cuan, a mental health counselor with Northern Virginia Family Services.

“Once there is trauma, it affects one’s mental and emotional skills to deal with stress,” he said, noting that brain development isn’t fully complete until age 26. He urged parents to reach out to NVFS if they think their child is traumatized and dispel their idea that “therapy is for crazy people.”

For those who do turn to drug abuse, the Community Service Board offers detox treatment and counseling, along with free Narcan and training on how to use it to stop an overdose. Claudia Bravo of the CSB also urged the audience to contact the agency for other services, such as mental health counseling, crisis response, and suicide prevention.  

Amir Abu-El-Hawa, chief of staff for Mason Supervisor Andres Jimenez urged residents to reach out to the supervisor’s office if they have a problem or need help connecting with services. One of Jimenez’ top priorities is “to listen to the community,” he said. “We want to hear from you.”