Police officers to walk the streets to build trust with the public

Patrol officers spend more time talking to the public. [Image from video by Police Chief Kevin Davis]

Mason Police District Commander Capt. Sean Adcock announced the imminent launch of a new initiative calling for patrol officers to spend 15 minutes twice a day out of their cruiser walking the streets and engaging with the public. 

The program, called iPAC (Integrating Police and Community) calls for officers to have casual conversations with people to build trust in communities where “people are a little bit reluctant to talk to the police,” Adcock said.

It will be targeted to areas with the highest crime rates in the district. The specific areas haven’t been announced and are likely to shift along with crime trends. 

Adcock discussed the program at the Oct. 8 with the Mason Police District’s Community Advisory Committee. It was the first in-person CAC meeting since the COVID pandemic took hold and also featured Adcock’s crime report and presentations on the FCPD Bomb Squad and a statewide anti-terrorism program. 

PFC Vince Vella of the Bomb Squad with Presley.

iPAC is not restricted to the Mason Police District; it’s being carried out by all Fairfax County police stations. 

Police Chief Kevin Davis described the program in a YouTube posted on Twitter Sept. 9. He calls it “a throwback to the timeless principles of policing which are rooted in one-and-one community engagement.” 

Related story: Police chief vows to increase foot patrols in Culmore

“iPAC relies on the classic notion of the patrol officer on the beat, walking around, talking to people, building connections, and problem-solving,” Davis said. “We want those we meet to know us before they need us. The best way to do that is by making ourselves more visible to the everyday folks within our community.” 

Crime priorities

Adcock’s update on crimes in the Mason District focused on three ongoing investigations of shooting incidents: 

• Landmark Plaza, Lincolnia, Aug. 5, 5:22 p.m. – Two men shooting at each other, one in Fairfax County and one in the City of Alexandria. Casings were found in both jurisdictions. 
• The 4900 block of Lincoln Ave., Lincolnia, Aug. 25, 9:36 p.m. – A man was shot in the arm.
• Babylon Café, 3501 S. Jefferson St., Bailey’s Crossroads, Aug. 20, 2:41 a.m. – A man was shot getting into his vehicle. 

Bomb Squad

Det. Gershon Ramirez and PFC Vince Vella of FCPD’s Explosive Ordnance Disposal unit, informally known as the Bomb Squad, brought some of their tools of the trade, along with team member Presley, a bomb-sniffing Labrador Retriever. 

Presley is one of three-bomb-sniffing dogs on the Bomb Squad who can detect 13,000 explosive compounds, such as black powder, guns that have been recently fired, ammonia nitrates used in fertilizer bombs, shell casings, and much more. 

Det. Gershon Ramirez with some of the equipment used by the Bomb Squad.

The EOD unit supports SWAT missions and checks out suspicious packages and items found on construction sites or other places. They send robots into buildings to take pictures and roll a small robot under cars to check for bombs. 

The unit has two full-time officers and three supplemental officers who are called in when needed. Vella described some incidents they worked on over the years:

• Last December, someone found a box of blasting caps under the floorboards in a house in Annandale. The resident of the house had previously told neighbors he was building a bomb.
• A man on the side of I-95 who was completely naked with a towel over his head told police, “I have a bomb inside me.” Officers thought the man was mentally ill, but they sent in a robot to talk to him, then sent an officer in full protective gear to take him to a hospital where was examined in a mobile X-ray unit in the parking lot. No bomb was found. While officers didn’t believe the man actually had a bomb in his body, “we have to take people at their word,” Vella said.  
• A man brought a 12-pound Civil War cannonball to the Mason Police Station. 
• Another time, a man delivered a rifle from the Korean War era to the Franconia station. 
• In 2012, someone found a suspicious bag with wires sticking out in an abandoned house on Gildar Street in Franconia. Bomb technicians took X-rays and discovered the bag was full of nails, screws, and commercial-grade fireworks. They called in the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) to disassemble it. “It’s a bomb, Vella said. “If you don’t know what it is, don’t touch it.” 
• In 2013, a Reston man working overseas as a military contractor brought home and turned in some explosive souvenirs, including two U.S.-made M18A1 Claymore Mines, a Chinese grenade launcher, two Czech grenades, a detonating cord, time fuse, and firing machines. 
• Also in 2013, a man was arrested after making a deal with an undercover officer to sell 15 pipe bombs and other explosives.

Terrorism alerts

In recognition of the 20th anniversary of 9-11, PFC Selena McGrady described the Virginia Fusion Center. The VFC is a partnership of the Virginia State Police, the Virginia Department of Emergency Management, and other agencies to share information on potential terrorist attacks and criminal activity. 

“After 9-11, law enforcement agencies realized they had different pieces of the puzzle but weren’t communicating, so the VFC was established as a hub of information for intelligence centers,” said McGrady, who serves as the Mason Police Station’s liaison to the VFC. 

A key function of the Fusion Center is to increase community awareness of criminal and terrorism trends. Members of the public are urged to report suspicious activities or behavior online or through the See Something Send Something app. 

The VFC Shield program provides specialized alerts for certain sectors, such as business owners, community groups, and the faith community, as well as the general public.