Public engagement, transparency lacking in selection of new police chief, NAACP charges
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| Kevin Davis [NBC Washington] |
The Fairfax County NAACP is disappointed with the appointment of Kevin Davis as the new chief of the Fairfax County Police Department and charges the selection process excluded meaningful public participation, transparency, and accountability.
Board of Supervisors Chair Jeffrey McKay announced the appointment of Davis April 23.
Davis has previously served as Baltimore police commissioner (2015-18), Anne Arundel County, Md., police chief (2013-14), and Prince George’s County, Md., assistant police chief (1992-2013).
During the announcement, “scant descriptions of his track record or justification as to why he was chosen were provided to the public. The community was, once again, excluded from the process,” says a statement issued April 29 by Fairfax County NAACP President Karen Campblin.
The results of a county-wide survey that was supposed to guide the search and interviews was not presented at a Board of Supervisors meeting or made available for public review, Campblin says. “The board also should have provided a better understanding of the reasons it believes Mr. Davis is the best candidate to run the FCPD.”
Campblin cited a news report by NBC Washington about two civil lawsuits against Davis earlier in his career in which he was found to have used excessive force.
“One case involved accusations of racist mistreatment and raised concerns among our already traumatized community,” she said. That is troubling “as we are grappling with a barrage of reports of police misconduct and excessive use of force cases by law enforcement around the country and even in our own backyard.”
Related story: Fairfax County Board appoints new police chief
McKay told Reston Now he remains confident in Davis despite the lawsuits.
“The history of policing has not centered around the safety of all members of the community. That is a systemic problem we are always working on in Fairfax County,” McKay wrote. “After an extensive interview and outreach process, the entire board felt confident in Chief Davis’s ability to lead and further reforms to policing.”
The Fairfax County NAACP urges county officials to conduct a transparent search for a new police chief in collaboration with the community.
Meanwhile, the organization will continue its advocacy for community-centered police reform, including an end to racial profiling, adoption of model practices on the use of force, holding officers accountable for fair and respectful treatment of the public, promotion of de-escalation strategies, and much more.
Fairfax County has a major shortage of police officers, not least because many people don't want to be police officers in a community where suspected criminals aren't actually stopped or arrested for fear someone might interpret that as disrespectful to the suspect or even the suspect's entire ethnic group. Also, even if the police were to actually arrest someone, the Fairfax County Commonwealth Attorney, Steve Descano, doesn't believe in prosecuting criminals, so there's that. I guess we have to get with the times and realize that it's the criminals who are the actual victims, not the people whose businesses or homes are robbed or who are stabbed, shot, or assaulted.
Let's see what the NAACP and other community groups say in four or five years when the crime rate shoots up because of weak policing and Descano's "we don't prosecute criminals" policy. Here's a hint of things to come: Kevin Davis was fired as police commissioner of Baltimore for — wait for it — failing to stem the rising number of murders in the city. Every decade or so we have to go through the same thing. First, criminals are just misunderstood victims of systematic discrimination for one reason or another and then a few years later when the crime rate is through the ceiling, people decide that discriminating against vandals, burglars, thieves, thugs, rapists, and murderers by throwing them in jail really isn't such a bad idea after all.
This comment by itself should be a piece here on the blog.
I'm afraid the leaders of this community lacks the common sense to even grasp the observations you're talking about.
This Fairfax County Board of Supervisors thinks residents don't need to know anything or worry our pretty little heads. The BoS knows what's best for us, plus they have no intention of listening to us anyway.
Correct.
Just pay your extremely-high taxes and shut the F up,
like the ultra-obeying libtards we are.
Agree with above comments. The
Appointing Kevin Davis as chief of police for Fairfax County was a slap in the face to criminal justice reform, policing reform and the one Fairfax policy focusing on equity and human rights. So we are clear Davis was found liable in not one but two civil cases as a police officer. The charges are reported as racial profiling, excessive use of force and false imprisonment. As you should all know it is difficult to file a law suit against an officer and because of "qualified immunity" it is extremely difficult to find an officer liable. This happen twice for Mr. Davis. It is telling that his conduct was overlooked. It is telling that he continued to be promoted in the ranks. This is exactly the type of policing we need to get away from because it does not make our communities safer for anyone not even the police. Our BOS (Board of Supervisors) should have been made aware of Davis's history before he was appointed. If they were not someone needs to be held accountable for that and should be forced to resign or be fired. This comes on the heels of Officer Freitag being allowed to resign with a recommendation that he was re-employable. Officer Freitag according to the Wash Post and others was accused of racial profiling that resulted in falsifying documents, tampering with evidence and people were jailed because of his misconduct. Fairfax County Attorney Office (Not the Commonwealth Attorney) either recommended that Officer Freitag resign or did not recommended that he be fired for cause despite what appears to be overwhelming evidence of his guilt. Freitag was allowed to go to Fl. be hired as a Law Enforcement officer and continue his opportunities to racially profile, tampering with evidence and making false reports that lead to the loss of someone's liberty. The County Attorney's office and BOS handling of this was so appalling the Fl. Sheriff wrote a letter admonishing the deceitful process and practices here in Fairfax County that allowed that Sheriff to employ Freitag and put him on the street. OUR BOS has not held any one accountable and has not taken responsibility for that issue.
This is supposed to be a Government by and for the people. We should demand that Davis' contract be rescinded and a new search begins. If the BOS refuses to take that simple responsible path we should and must hold THEM accountable by making sure we recruit and support candidates that see this as the simple issue it is. If we want more we have to demand more. Someone has to be held accountable let the BOS decided who that will be.