Pending final agreement with a key bargaining unit, Fairfax County government officials are ready to move forward with a consolidation of animal care and protection services.
The change, which was approved last year as part of the county’s fiscal year 2025 budget, will move operations currently handled by the Animal Protection Police (APP) within the Fairfax County Police Department to the county’s Department of Animal Services (formerly the Department of Animal Sheltering, or DAS).
Before the proposal got approved, the local chapter of the Southern States Police Benevolent Association (SSPBA) raised concerns about how the consolidation will affect services currently handled by the APP, which deals with human-animal interactions ranging from finding stray pets to investigating reports of cruelty and neglect.
The plan is “almost at the point” of final agreement with the union, which was elected as the collective bargaining unit for FCPD workers, Assistant Chief of Police Bob Blakley told the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors at a safety and security committee meeting on Tuesday (Feb. 11).
Under the plan, current members of the APP would have the option of either shifting to a similar civilian role with the Department of Animal Services, or staying with the police department in another capacity.
Care has been taken to ensure those choosing to move from uniformed service to a civilian role aren’t shortchanged in terms of pay, benefits and retirement, Blakley said.
“No employee will lose anything that they currently have,” he said at the briefing.
In the Department of Animal Services, those performing duties akin to APP officers will be known as animal-service officers and animal-services investigators. Those positions are being advertised and will be filled once county officials know how many police opt to move into available slots, staff said.
A chief field-services officer, Thomas Ingle, has been hired to lead the effort and is in place. He will also serve as deputy director of the DAS.
Training of new personnel will take about three months. In the interim, the FCPD and Department of Animal Services will work “side by side” to ensure continuity, Blakley said.
Most residents likely will notice little change, according to DAS Director Reasa Currier. Those contacting the county for animal-control services will see their requests handled the same way as they are today.
The Department of Animal Services is convening a wildlife advisory committee to provide advice and feedback during and after the transition, Currier said.
At the committee meeting, a number of supervisors expressed concerns about staffing that may be impacted by the change.
Franconia District Supervisor Rodney Lusk, who chairs the safety and security committee, said that currently, other police personnel can be called in to assist with staffing shortfalls. He asked for details on how that will be handled going forward.
Mount Vernon District Supervisor Daniel Storck voiced concern about the staffing hierarchy planned for the consolidated program, which he said “seems pretty top-heavy.”
“I have a hard time accepting it as the best structure,” Storck said.
