The Fairfax County Police Department has launched a new unit dedicated to investigating active violence incidents and bomb threats.

The Threat Assessment and Management Unit (TAM) will offer a systemic and multidisciplinary approach to analyzing, tracking and preventing potential acts of targeted violence. The unit would also intervene in cases where individuals are at risk of violence.

The unit’s specialties will include handling red flag cases, where a court issues an Emergency Substantial Risk Order letting police temporarily take away an individual’s gun because they pose a danger to themselves or someone else.

“This specialized team is comprised of highly skilled officers and analysts who possess a unique combination of training in law enforcement, and intelligence analysis,” the FCPD wrote in a press release. “Their main objective is to proactively identify, evaluate, and mitigate potential threats to our community.”

The unit will include personnel from the county and Northern Virginia overall, as the FCPD hopes to create a regional program that could serve as a national model.

Having a standalone team focused exclusively on these cases will improve the quality of the investigations, which require unique expertise, Police Chief Kevin Davis said when announcing the new unit.

“While it is important for law enforcement to be involved to ensure a comprehensive and inclusive approach – and to intervene if the threat escalates – partnerships…are crucial, as the primary goal of this approach is to provide individuals with support services before the threat rises to a level requiring law enforcement intervention,” FCPD wrote.

The number of violence threat events has increased from 30 in 2020 to 153 in 2023, according to police. The number of emergency substantial risk orders increased from five in 2020 to 77 in 2023, though data from the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office indicates that over 100 cases have been opened this year.

Similarly, there were 27 bomb threats in 2023, 29 in 2022 and 18 in 2021.

Here’s more from FCPD on the unit:

The goal is to interdict and deter subjects on the pathway to targeted violence and provide appropriate resources to the subject. The TAM Unit will conduct assessments based on an appraisal of observed (or reasonably observable) behaviors to identify potentially dangerous or violent situations, investigate/assess them, and ultimately mitigate them. The overall goal will be to ensure the safety of all involved, while respecting individual privacy, civil rights, and civil liberties.

The Threat Assessment and Management (TAM) Unit employs a multifaceted approach to assess various types of threats, ranging from individuals displaying concerning behaviors to organized criminal activities. By leveraging their expertise and utilizing advanced technology, they conduct thorough investigations, analyze patterns, and assess potential risks to determine the most appropriate course of action. This unit actively collaborates with other law enforcement agencies, mental health professionals, and community partners to gather comprehensive information and develop proactive strategies to address emerging threats effectively. Through their diligent efforts, the TAM plays a crucial role in preventing potential incidents, promoting community trust, and fostering a secure environment for all.

Shoplifting and assaults have gone up in Fairfax County so far this year, the county police department’s mid-year crime data shows.

The department released the report in coordination with the Major Cities Chiefs Association (MCCA), which ranks the nation’s 70 largest police departments by four crime categories: homicide, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault. The report covered data from January to June.

Of all the reported offenses, shoplifting saw the largest uptick in the county, with numbers up by 50% to 3,736 incidents. There were 2,489 shoplifting incidents reported in the same time frame last year. Residential burglaries also increased by 20 incidents.

The county reported 15 carjackings — a small increase from 13 last year. There have been 45 more auto thefts, but thefts from vehicles and of vehicle parts have both declined. The Fairfax County Police Dpartment targeted those crimes last month as part of a summer-long crime prevention initiative.

“Our unwavering commitment to public safety drives our efforts to implement targeted patrols and deploy advanced crime prevention strategies, ” a news release read.

The number of assault offenses increased more than 13%, jumping from 4,348 to 4,931. In addition, about 15% more people have been charged this year with assaulting family members, a category that increased from 702 by the end of June in 2022 to 816 in 2023.

However, murders and forcible sex offenses decreased from 12 to 10 and 194 to 192, respectively.

Despite upticks in some categories, the police departments said the county is still the safest of its size.

“When all MCCA police departments are ranked by violent crime rating, we are proud to say Fairfax County remains the safest jurisdiction of its size,” the FCPD said.

Late night drinks ended in a round of fisticuffs at Vienna’s Pazzo Pomodoro last Wednesday (July 12).

Officers were called to the Italian restaurant at 118 Branch Road SE around 1:30 a.m. after getting a report of a fight, the Vienna Police Department said in a summary of notable incidents from the week of July 7-13.

According to the report, bystanders told police that the conflict began when a man made “comments about a couple” at the restaurant’s bar, which is open until 1 a.m. on Sundays through Thursdays.

“One of the other patrons was offended by the comments and asked the man to stop,” the VPD said. “When the man continued with the comments, a fight ensued between the man, the patron, and the patron’s adult son.”

Other customers and employees were able to break up the fight before the police arrived and advised those involved of the process for pursuing charges, should they opt to go that route, according to the VPD.

In a separate, belatedly documented incident, police went to the 200 block of Harmony Drive SW on June 2 to settle a dispute between a resident and a group of teen boys.

Officers received two calls about the incident: one from the resident and another from a caller who claimed the resident had brandished a handgun.

The resident advised she heard a loud banging at her front door and she observed several teenage boys standing by the curb. The resident yelled at the boys, swearing and using racial slurs. When the boys began cursing back she called the police. The boys advised they left the local pool and were waiting for a ride when an unknown boy ran up to the resident’s door, knocked, and ran away. The resident then began yelling at them and emerged with a gun.

The resident told officers that she was holding her phone to call the police, not a gun — an assertion confirmed by a cell phone video that the boys recorded of the encounter, the VPD said.

Also in the department’s latest round-up, a traffic stop on June 30 led to the driver — a 30-year-old Herndon man — getting charged with carrying a concealed firearm without a permit, and a resident reported on July 13 that her dog got sick from ingesting rat poison while in her backyard.

“It is not known how the poison could have gotten into the resident’s yard,” police said.

At the Westwood Country Club on July 7, a “disgruntled” employee was trespassed after “breaking several plates, shoving the manager, and placing several employees in fear.”

In addition, a resident in the 1100 block of Moorefield Hill Court SW called police on July 10 to report that his dog walker had seen another woman who claimed to be a dog walker enter his home around noon that day:

At 7:30 p.m., a resident reported an incident from earlier in the day when his dog walker observed a woman walk through the carport and into his home. The woman immediately left saying she had the wrong house. The dog walker provided the resident with the woman’s description and the tag number from her vehicle. Officers went to the woman’s home and she advised them that she is a dog walker and accidentally walked into a home thinking it was her client’s address then quickly realized she was at the wrong house.

Photo via Google Maps

Thefts at retail businesses in Fairfax County dropped sharply in June after spiking this spring, local police say.

The Fairfax County Police Department reported on Thursday (July 6) that there were 573 shoplifting offenses last month, down from 642 offenses in May and 603 in April. The department attributes the decline to its increased focus on retail thefts as part of a 2023 summer crime prevention initiative.

Before that, shoplifting had dipped down to 577 incidents in March after over 600 were recorded in both January and February.

“The summer months, particularly June, are notoriously the highest for shoplifting crime in Fairfax County,” the FCPD said. “However, with our efforts this month, we were able to achieve a significant decrease in this crime across the county.”

For the summer initiative, the department says officers increased patrols and community engagement in areas where there are frequent calls for service related to shoplifting and retail theft. Police also met with affected busineseses “to discuss the crimes occurring and offered tips about how they can keep their businesses safe.”

Notable incidents included an arrest of two people who allegedly stole over $10,000 worth of merchandise from a retailer in Tysons and an arrest on July 1 at Springfield Town Center that led to the recovery of $37,000 of allegedly stolen merchandise.

An officer assigned to the Springfield mall recognized two men who were wanted on felony charges for a previous theft, according to the FCPD.

“Upon seeing officers converging on them, the two men fled on foot but were quickly taken into custody,” police said. “Officers completed search warrants on their vehicle and hotel room which resulted in the recovery of security tag removal devices and over 15 large bags of stolen merchandise.”

The merchandise came from incidents in both Fairfax County and a neighboring jurisdiction, according to police.

The summer crime prevention initiative is focusing on different issues each month based on data trends, the FCPD says. For July, teams of officers from each district station are working with the DUI squad to crack down on drivers who are under the influence or otherwise present a danger on the roads.

“Officers will be strictly enforcing traffic laws associated with impaired driving and educating the public about the importance of safe driving habits,” the FCPD announced on June 30.

Spy Robert Hanssen, a former Vienna resident who passed along secrets to the Soviet Union and Russia via a nearby park, died yesterday (Monday) in a Colorado federal prison.

Hanssen, 79, was an FBI counterintelligence agent who was sentenced to life in prison in 2002 for passing classified information to Soviet (later Russian) intelligence.

Hanssen was found unresponsive in his cell yesterday and pronounced dead later that day. AP reported that he is believed to have died of natural causes.

Hanssen used Foxstone Park in Vienna as a dead drop location for passing along classified information. He was arrested at the park in February 2001.

According to the Fairfax County Park Authority, Hanssen sold classified secrets on at least 20 different occasions over 15 years.

At the time of his arrest, Hanssen was caught leaving a package underneath a park bridge. The bridge was discovered to have been a site for several “dead drops,” or exchanges of confidential information.  In June 2001, Hanssen pleaded guilty to 15 espionage-related charges. He was sentenced in May 2002 to life in prison without parole. He was sent to the supermax unit of the U.S. federal prison in Florence, Colorado, to begin serving his sentence.

Hanssen’s actions were later dramatized in the movie “Breach,” which filmed some scenes at Foxstone Park.

(Updated at 4:25 p.m.) A rock fight disrupted a warm Saturday afternoon for two Vienna households last week, though who exactly was throwing the rocks is a matter of some dispute.

A resident in the 100 block of Patrick Street SE reported to police on May 20 that, around 5 p.m., a man threw rocks at his juvenile son, who was playing outside, according to the Vienna Police Department’s weekly recap for May 19-25.

“An officer spoke to the man who advised he was sitting on his balcony when a group of juveniles began throwing rocks at him, cursing, and calling him racial slurs,” the VPD said in its report.

The man denied throwing any rocks, telling the officer that “he took the rocks and placed them on a toy in front of the apartment the juveniles ran to.”

No injuries were reported, but the police explained the warrant process to both parties in case they decide to pursue charges.

In a separate incident, police arrested a 21-year-old man from Woodbridge who backed into an officer’s cruiser when he was pulled over for reckless driving at the intersection of Maple Avenue and East Street SE on May 21.

According to the recap, the officer initiated the traffic stop at 2:52 a.m. The driver pulled over to the side of the road and hit the police cruiser when he started to back up.

“Upon the officer’s interaction with the man, he detected signs of impairment,” police said. “The driver failed to complete a series of field sobriety tests and was placed under arrest.”

The man was taken to the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center and charged with driving while intoxicated.

Other “highlights” from the past week include a report of Cedar Lane School student harassing a classmate and hitting a school bus driver, along with an apparent road rage incident:

Assault 23-004593
Cedar Lane School
101 Cedar Lane, SW
May 23 7:45 a.m.

On May 24, the school administration reported a juvenile assaulted their school bus driver on May 23. The juvenile began harassing another student and, when the bus driver tried to intercede, the juvenile began striking him.

Arrest – Destruction of Property 23-004600
Lawyers Road and Malcolm Road, NW
May 24 3:10 p.m.

A citizen was traveling northbound on Lawyers Road when he observed another vehicle driving erratically. When the citizen honked his horn at the other driver, the man cut his vehicle off. As they reached the stop sign at Lawyers and Malcolm, the other driver got out of his vehicle with a baseball bat and proceeded to hit the citizen’s side-view mirror, breaking it off. The man then fled the area.

Police identified the driver as a 23-year-old man and served a summons charging him with property destruction at his home on Laurel Ridge Road.

A dog attacked a cat and a rabid raccoon in Vienna earlier this month, an encounter that left the raccoon dead, police say.

The dog got loose in the 700 block of MacArthur Avenue NE and attacked the two other animals on May 12, according to the Vienna Police Department’s recap for the week of May 12-18.

The incident was reported on May 15 by a neighbor of the dog’s owner. The neighbor also told police that his own dog was bitten while he and the owner were both walking their pets at noon on May 8. The bite left “a puncture wound.”

“The Animal Control Officer in Fairfax County investigated these incidents and placed the dog under a 10-day quarantine,” the VPD said. “ACO Barker had a conversation with the dog’s owner, emphasizing the importance of ensuring the dog does not pose a threat to other people or animals in the future.”

The Fairfax County Health Department reported to police on May 16 that the slain raccoon had been tested for rabies and was confirmed to be positive.

“The owner of the dog was promptly notified, and the quarantine period was extended to the required 45 days,” Vienna police said, noting that both that dog and the dog of the resident who reported the incidents were up-to-date on their vaccinations.

About half of the 40 to 60 rabies cases recorded in Fairfax County each year involve raccoons, the county’s rabies program manager previously told FFXnow. The virus typically spreads through a bite or scratch and nearly always proves fatal.

Other notable incidents in last week’s crime round-up include three domestic assaults and a May 12 crash at the intersection of Locust Street and Branch Road where “the driver lost control, went over the curb, and struck a utility pole.”

The driver, a 69-year-old man from Vienna, was charged with driving while intoxicated.

Alcohol also figured into a trespassing incident at Yeonas Park around 3:30 p.m. on May 13:

Officers responded to the report of a man who was refusing to leave the ballpark. The Vienna Little League President advised he saw the man drinking alcohol and when he requested he leave the park, the man threatened him. The man was trespassed from the park by the Little League President and he left the area.

In addition, officers responded to three times to people playing pickleball at Glyndon Park outside of the town’s approved hours. The complaints came in at 7:36 p.m. and 9:07 p.m. on Wednesday (May 17), and at 9:02 p.m. on Thursday (May 18).

Separately, the VPD announced last week that a man had been arrested on Thursday for allegedly sexually assaulting a girl at a Vienna park.

Vienna police have identified the alleged reckless driver who was arrested last week after leading officers on a wild vehicle and foot chase.

John Thomas Prince IV of Haymarket has been charged with three felonies and four misdemeanors, for reckless driving, property destruction, eluding police, attempted unlawful entry and driving on a revoked license — and that’s just in Vienna.

Prince has also been served six outstanding warrants for petit larceny and concealing merchandise charges filed by Fairfax County and Prince William County police, as the Vienna Police Department noted in its weekly crime recap on Friday (April 21).

In a news release identifying Prince, the VPD shared today that he nearly hit “several citizens” with his vehicle while fleeing from police, who received a report of a reckless driver in the 300 block of Maple Avenue on April 18.

“At approximately 2:28 pm, an officer located a vehicle matching a lookout for a reckless driver,” the police department said. “The driver, later identified as John Thomas Prince IV, saw police and drove at a high rate of speed through a shopping center parking lot, almost striking several citizens.”

A VPD spokesperson confirmed that the parking lot was for the Maple Avenue Shopping Center anchored by Giant Food, CVS and Michaels.

According to police, a second officer joined the chase after seeing Prince’s vehicle in the Locust Street and Park Street SE traffic circle:

The second officer followed him onto Park Street SE and alerted nearby motor officers to stop the vehicle. The suspect vehicle eluded the motor officers and made a right turn onto Moore Ave S.E. An officer behind the suspect activated his emergency equipment and attempted to conduct a traffic stop with the suspect vehicle. The Officer followed until Mr. Prince jumped from the moving vehicle, leaving it running with a female passenger inside. The vehicle eventually stopped when it crashed into an unoccupied parked vehicle.

Witnesses advised a male subject jumped several fences of different residences and attempted to enter these residences. An additional officer responding to the scene saw Mr. Prince running through the front yard of a nearby home. The Officer ordered him to stop and was ignored. Mr. Prince attempted to enter the locked residence but was detained by officers.

Prince is being held without bond at the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center.

“The Vienna Police Department would like to thank all the witnesses who remained on the scene to give statements, provide video evidence, and assist with this investigation,” the VPD said.

Going forward, all Fairfax County Public Schools workers will be required to undergo regular background checks and notify the school system of any arrests while they’re employed.

The expanded background check policies will be implemented after an investigation last year found “systemic gaps” in the hiring process, FCPS announced yesterday (Tuesday).

The independent investigation was prompted by the discovery that former Glasgow Middle School counselor Darren Thornton had remained employed for months after he was convicted of soliciting prostitution from a minor in Chesterfield County.

Effective since March 12, the new regulation is part of a “continuing effort to provide safe schools and workplaces for all students and staff,” FCPS said.

All employees, including temporary, hourly and substitute staff, will be reviewed through the National Sex Offender Registry, starting this month. This summer, anyone hired before August 2006 will also need to make an appointment where their fingerprints can be scanned for review by the Virginia State Police and FBI.

Employees hired between Aug. 1, 2006 and July 1, 2022 already have digital fingerprint scans on file, so those will be automatically resubmitted, FCPS says.

All employees are now required to disclose to the FCPS Office of Equity and Employee Relations (EER) any arrests for felonies, misdemeanors or other “acts that impact a person’s ability to work” that occurred after they were hired.

FCPS says its Department of Human Resources will start submitting all employees for criminal record background checks “periodically to monitor for unreported criminal record activity.”

“Additional types of background checks may also be used for periodic monitoring,” FCPS said. “Not every arrest would lead to action; however, a barrier crime, felony or a crime that impacts a person’s ability to work may have cause for dismissal.”

FCPS Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid told families on Aug. 18 that Thornton had been fired after officials were notified of his March 11 conviction and sentencing, which called for supervised probation in place of a suspended five-year jail sentence.

Thornton was originally arrested in November 2020, but Chesterfield police later said their emails alerting FCPS to the sex crime charge bounced back. The 50-year-old Mechanicsville resident was arrested for a second time in a separate sting operation on June 9, 2022.

After he was terminated by FCPS, Virginia State Police arrested Thornton for failing to provide complete and accurate information to the state’s sex offender registry.

In addition to indicating that it will require regular background checks, the Fairfax County School Board said following the independent investigation in September that it will make changes to its processes for verifying licensure, documenting employee leave and dismissing workers convicted of certain crimes.

David Walrod, president of the Fairfax County Federation of Teachers, expressed support for the new background check policies, stating that the Thornton case showed the limits of relying solely on law enforcement for notification of crimes by employees.

“Ensuring that employees have a clean criminal record at the start their career is important but ensuring that employees maintain clean criminal records is an important part of ensuring the safety of our students and staff,” Walrod said in a statement. “I commend the district for taking this step, and I am glad to see that Dr. Reid has taken decisive steps to ensure this happens.”

Spurred by the Thornton case, the General Assembly passed a law last month requiring all public school divisions in Virginia to designate a contact for law enforcement and courts who will manage reports related to any school employee arrests or convictions for felonies. Sponsored by state Sen. Scott Surovell, the measure will take effect on July 1.

A 33-year-old man from Haymarket was charged with reckless driving and felony property destruction last week following a vehicle and foot chase with Vienna police.

The Vienna Police Department received a report around 2:28 p.m. last Tuesday (April 18) that a reckless driver was “harassing people” in the 300 block of Maple Avenue East, according to the department’s recap of the week of April 14-20.

Officers sent to the scene spotted the vehicle leaving the area and moved to make a traffic stop.

“The driver fled, crashed into a parked car, and ran away, damaging some fences while trying to elude the officers,” the report said. “The suspect also attempted to enter homes, with officers closing in on him.”

Officers and detectives who “saturated the area” were soon able to arrest the man in the 700 block of Cottage Street SW, police said.

Vienna police charged the man with reckless driving, two counts of felony destruction of property, two misdemeanor counts of unlawful entry, a felony for eluding a law enforcement officer, and driving on a license revoked for driving under the influence.

According to VPD, the man also faced outstanding warrants in Fairfax and Prince William counties for petit larceny and concealing merchandise. He was held without bond at the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center.

Other notable public safety incidents from the past week include a fight in the Pazzo Pomodoro parking lot (118 Branch Road SE) on April 14 that was triggered either by an “inappropriate gesture” or shouted “obscenities,” depending on who’s asked.

An employee reported a fight in the parking lot of Pazzo Pomodoro involving a resident and a couple. According to the resident, the man made an inappropriate gesture toward him, leading to a physical altercation. However, the couple claimed that the resident drove past them, yelling obscenities and started the fight. The woman ran into the restaurant to get help, and a customer also became involved. Police could not identify a primary aggressor, and all parties were informed about the warrant process if they wanted to press charges.

The resident was transported to receive medical treatment for injuries considered non-life-threatening, police said.

On April 15, the VPD responded to an argument at a baby shower on Kingsley Road that escalated to shoving and an apparent road rage incident at Nutley Street and Princeton Terrace SW.

“A driver reported he was traveling southbound on Nutley Street when he was cut off by another driver, causing him to stop on the roadway,” the police summary says. “The other driver proceeded to throw a half-filled can of fluid, striking his vehicle before leaving the area at a high rate of speed.”

Police also responded to Glyndon Park at 5:46 p.m. on April 16 for a report of four people playing pickleball, which is no longer allowed on Sundays due to noise complaints.