Fairfax City is stepping up surveillance of its historic downtown and two public parks with the help of private security guards.
Starting today (Monday), uniformed but unarmed guards will patrol the Old Town commercial district, Stafford Drive Park (3300 Stafford Drive) and Draper Drive Park (9797 Beech Drive) as part of an eight-week security pilot program developed by the City of Fairfax Police Department.
Provided by Alpha Security, a private company that was already contracted by the city’s parks and recreation department, one of the guards will be present in Old Town from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, while another guard will be assigned to the parks, patrolling on a daily basis from 3 to 8 p.m.
“Guard duties will include foot patrols, business and community outreach, and serving as highly visible deterrents to crime,” the City of Fairfax said in a press release. “Guards will communicate with patrol officers if enforcement action is required.”
The pilot program builds on the police department’s ongoing efforts to enhance its support for the local business community, Police Chief Erin Schaible told the city council at an Oct. 8 meeting that included a review of proposed security initiatives.
After introducing a community liaison officer this spring to work with businesses in “high-traffic, high-crime areas,” Fairfax City police have seen a reduction in larcenies and general criminal activity, particularly in the Fairfax Circle Shopping Center area, according to Schaible. One business even reported no longer feeling the need to lock their doors.
“The continuity of the uniform and of security has really helped transition that whole community at the Circle,” the police chief said. “We want to sort of do that as a force multiplier in both the Old Town area and in the parks to create that higher sense of security. Perception’s reality, and if you don’t feel safe, you’re not going to be safe. So, having that visibility is going to increase the safety of our residents.”
Both located near Fairfax Circle, Draper and Stafford parks were chosen for the pilot in response to “heightened” safety concerns from residents following “several criminal incidents,” the presentation for the city council says.
Old Town Fairfax emerged as a candidate for the pilot after businesses reported “ongoing issues with nuisance crimes,” including larceny, loitering and trespassing — activities that the police department at least partly attributes to the district’s proximity to the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center.
Pilot programs proposed based on homelessness task force report
Costing $16,808 to employ the security guards for 35 hours per week, the pilot was one of three proposals presented earlier this month as a follow-up to recommendations delivered in June by a homelessness task force convened by the city council in 2023.
Made up of about 15 community members, including residents and representatives of local businesses and nonprofits, the task force issued 38 recommendations that ranged from increasing police presence specifically in Fairfax Circle and expanding social services to establishing a permanent Housing and Homelessness Advisory Commission and exploring the possibility of a homeless court docket.
The city allocated $53,923 in its fiscal year 2025 budget for implementing priorities identified by the task force, and the city council directed staff on July 9 to develop pilot proposals for security enhancements that could utilize those funds, according to a staff report.
Along with the private security pilot, staff proposed using $10,000 for a “First Steps to Self-Sufficiency” program that will assist people experiencing homelessness with small costs like security deposits, bus passes or a haircut might otherwise hinder them from obtaining housing or employment.
“I’m not looking for the money to go put somebody in a house forever or to do something more substantial. It’s more taking the initial barrier away,” Fairfax City Human Services Director Lesley Abashian said, noting that her office would work with FACETS, the Lamb Center and other community groups to ensure the program isn’t duplicating their efforts.
‘AI-enabled’ security cameras considered
Parks and Recreation Director Stacey Sommerfield proposed installing security cameras at Draper and Stafford parks that would have automated or artificial intelligence-enabled capabilities. Depending on how they’re programmed, the cameras could automatically alert law enforcement if they capture certain activities, and officers reviewing footage would be able to search for specific segments.
The proposal calls for four cameras in each park, including ones directed at the parking lots that would be able to read license plates. The city would also add lighting and emergency call boxes as part of the project.
“It is a real-time system,” Sommerfield said. ” …If an emergency is happening at the park, we’re able to share immediately links that are accessible to police, responding EMTs, even if they’re outside the city’s network in real time.”
City staff suggested the camera network could later be expanded to all park facilities and other key sites around the city, such as Old Town Square, the Sherwood Community Center and “other places that we’ve identified that would be helpful to have security eyes at all times.”
In the future, the network could also be bolstered through partnerships with businesses that agree to include their security cameras, City Manager Laszlo Palko said. Councilmember Jeffrey Greenfield speculated that homeowners could opt in with their doorbell cameras as well.
“You wouldn’t have access to their entire home security system, but … in case of a crime happening in real time, police can see where that person is going and tap into those cameras along the street,” he said at the Oct. 9 council meeting.
However, the parks and recreation department says it will cost an estimated $200,000 to set up the proposed park cameras, not including the expense of bringing fiber optics lines into the parks.
With some of the cost for the security guards covered by revenue from the city’s Old Town tax district, there would still be some funding available from the homelessness task force allocation after the security guard and “First Step” pilot programs.
While city staff requested the flexibility to use all of the funds, the council ultimately opted against committing the remainder to a particular project. Mayor Catherine Read noted that they’re still appointing members to the permanent housing advisory commission recommended by the task force.
“We’re basically supposed to spend all the money and tell this brand-new advisory board good luck with your recommendations because you won’t have any money until next July,” Read said. “I think security’s important, but is it the only thing?”
