Covering Annandale, Bailey's Crossroads, Lincolnia, and Seven Corners in Fairfax County, Virginia

Man arrested for immigration scam at Landmark Plaza

Kamara Fairfax County police have arrested man who approached women at Landmark Plaza and promised to help them obtain citizenship and provide immigration assistance for their relatives abroad. Ousseynou Kamara, 41, of 3707 Pogonia Court, Hyattsville, Md., was charged with six felony counts of obtaining money by false pretenses, two counts of forgery, and identity … Continued

FXCO police shoot child porn suspect

A Fairfax County police officer shot and killed a suspect involved in child pornography May 19 at the Chelsea Square apartment complex on Backlick Road in North Springfield. The following information is from the Fairfax County Police Department: The suspect had seven outstanding warrants: Three felony counts of producing child pornography, three felony counts of … Continued

Cop school: the K9 corps

MPO Harford and Scout The K9 corps plays a key unit of the Fairfax County Police Department, tracking suspects, victims, evidence, and lost children, Master Police Officer Rob Harford told participants at a recent session of the Fairfax County Citizens’ Police Academy. Harford works with Scout, a black German Shepherd, who can track human odors … Continued

Cop school: the bomb unit

MPO Tom Eggers with the EOD unit’s robots. When a bomb threat was called in to Annandale High School and a suspicious package was left there March 30, the Fairfax County Police Department’s Explosive Ordinance Disposal (EOD) unit brought its robots to investigate. X-rays conducted by the robots found the contents “completely innocuous,” says Master … Continued

Cop school: The SWAT team

Sgt. Reiff describes the SWAT team uniform If your neighborhood is swarming with police officers running around in heavy jumpsuits and helmets, chances are there’s a SWAT team operation in progress. They could be dealing with a barricade situation, home invasion, or some other type of tactical mission. The officers won’t have time to chat … Continued

Cop school: Animal Services

Fairfax County has a pilot program to test the 4-poster system for combating deer ticks that spread Lyme disease. [photo from 21st Century Deer Management.] The work of the Fairfax County Police Department isn’t all about chasing bad guys; sometimes it’s about chasing a rabid raccoon or catching an aggressive dog. That’s because a key … Continued

Cop school: the Helicopter Division

You might have heard a big commotion in Lincolnia about a week ago. A drunk driver crashed an SUV into the gas pumps at the Sunoco station on Little River Turnpike and Beauregard Street and fled the scene. She was eventually located and arrested for hit-and-run among other charges. “Fairfax 1,” the Fairfax County Police … Continued

Cop school: Gangs still pose a threat in FXCO

The following report about gangs in Fairfax County is based on a presentation by a police detective in the gang unit at the April 5 session of the Citizens Police Academy. The detective often works undercover so he prefers to remain anonymous. Gang graffiti in Fairfax County “The gang problem is not as bad as … Continued

Police address community concerns on assaults

Hill About 120 people came to a community meeting Monday evening at Robinson Secondary School to learn more about how the police are responding to two recent sexual assaults in Fairfax and how to avoid being a victim of a similar attack. Sgt. R.M. Thiel of the West Springfield Police Station outlined the basic facts … Continued

Uptick in burglaries reported in Mason

There has been an increase in residential burglaries throughout the Mason District in recent weeks, reports Brendan T. Murphy, crime prevention officer in the Mason District Police Station. “Most of them have been during the day, and items like electronics and jewelry seem to be the goodies of choice,” he says. The Police Department provides free … Continued

Police exonerated in dog shooting

The Fairfax County police officer who shot a dog in the Parklawn community in the Mason District Sept. 2, 2011, has been totally exonerated, says Capt. Ed O’Carroll, commander of the investigations division at the Fairfax County Police Department’s Internal Affairs Bureau. Many local residents expressed sympathy for Tommy Tomlo, and his dog, Crash, and … Continued

Apparent murder suicide under investigation

3800 Forest Grove Drive UPDATED March 28: Mason District police are investigating an apparent homicide/suicide that occurred in the early morning hours of Tuesday, March 27. The victims were identified as John Jackson, age 40, a former sergeant in the Fairfax County police force and, his 13-year-old daughter, Alexis Jackson, a student at Glasgow Middle … Continued