Fairfax County will look at creating a corps of “community safety officers,” who would have fewer powers than sworn law-enforcement personnel but could support the police department’s mission in an era of recruiting challenges.
“Based on experiences in other jurisdictions around the country and in our region, it could have some merit,” Braddock District Supervisor James Walkinshaw said when proposing on Tuesday (Feb. 18) that staff study the issue.
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors passed the directive unanimously.
Community safety officers, or CSOs, are public safety positions that focus on non-emergency incidents and assist on issues related to everything from parking enforcement and noise complaints to directing traffic and supporting community outreach.
“This could be helpful as we’re trying to address some of the [Fairfax County Police Department’s] staffing issues — a way to relieve them of some of these ancillary duties,” said Franconia District Supervisor Rodney Lusk, who chairs the board’s safety and security committee.
Walkinshaw said he had discussed the program with top police officials and union leaders, “all of whom are open to exploring this.”
Creation of a CSO force also could help the county address challenges related to the recruitment and retention of crossing guards who help guide traffic outside local schools.
The staff study will also look at how CSO responsibilities and training compare to that of auxiliary police officers, or APOs, who are volunteers but receive extensive training — about 200 hours’ worth — before they’re sent out to support sworn officers.
A CSO program, whose ranks potentially could be paid or volunteer positions, wouldn’t be designed to supplant APOs, according to Board Chairman Jeff McKay.
“The APO program is robust, and the qualifications for it are significant and the training is significant,” he said.
McKay said a CSO program might appeal to those that “don’t want to go that deep, but maybe want to be of some level of service to the community.”
No date has been set for staff to brief the supervisors. Any implementation of a CSO program will likely take several years, Walkinshaw said, noting that he’s open to whatever information staff provide.
“I don’t want to oversell the potential. I don’t in any way pre-judge the outcome,” Walkinshaw said. “What I’m asking for is a review and analysis of this as a potential option.”
During the discussion, several supervisors inquired about the status of the potential privatization of the school crossing guard program, which currently falls under the FCPD’s jurisdiction.
Struggling to meet the demand for crossing guards, the police department has cut back on coverage and dispatched sworn officers to cover some locations when there are no other available options.
County staff said a request for proposal is being formulated, potentially allowing a privatization pilot program to be up and running by the end of the calendar year.
As part of his fiscal year 2026 budget proposal, County Executive Bryan Hill has recommended eliminating crossing guards at 22 public high schools, which would, if enacted, result in 16 position cuts and a cost savings estimated at $842,581.
Fairfax County is the only major jurisdiction in Northern Virginia with crossing guards at the high school level, county officials say. The budget proposal wouldn’t affect elementary and middle schools.
