Fairfax County Police Chief Tom Manger’s announcement last week that he will retire from Fairfax at the end of this month and become police chief in Montgomery County, Maryland, was a big surprise to everyone. Chief Manger was selected as acting chief in 1998, and was appointed Chief of Police by the Board of Supervisors on January 11, 1999. His appointment came after a national search and in-depth interviews with 10 candidates, both internal and external. A similar process will be used in the search for Chief Manger’s successor.
With Chief Manger’s move to Montgomery County, the region has several police chiefs who trained and served Fairfax County as police officers: Doug Scott, former Fairfax chief and now police chief in Arlington County; Rick Rappoport, Fairfax City police chief; Bob Murray, City of Falls Church police chief; and Bob Carlisle, Town of Vienna police chief. Fairfax County long has been known for its excellent police force of well-trained and well-equipped officers, and the number of people tapped for the top position in other jurisdictions reflects that reputation.
Tom Manger’s tenure as Fairfax County police chief brought nearly every kind of challenge one can imagine. Community policing is his hallmark, and he brought officers closer to the people they serve. Patrol schedules were adjusted, and new teams developed. Chief Manger was no stranger to many neighborhoods; he often visited civic meetings, and was a regular participant in the county’s National Night Out events each August. Under Chief Manger’s leadership, the department received the Fairfax County Human Rights Commission Award in 2000. However, he and his officers were truly tested in recent years. The September 11 attack on the Pentagon, quickly followed by the anthrax threats, meant that police officers had to respond to incidents for which there had been little training. Hate crimes and incidents increased temporarily, and Chief Manger made sure that everyone knew that such incidents were not tolerated in Fairfax County and would be investigated thoroughly. In 2002, the sniper killings made front page news across the nation. Once again, it was Chief Manger who worked with law enforcement throughout the region to eventually capture and convict the two snipers for the murder of FBI employee Linda Franklin at the Home Depot parking garage in Seven Corners. In September 2003, Chief Manger was at the forefront of the county’s response to Hurricane Isabel, leading the planning and evacuation of hundreds of residents in the Belle Haven area from flooding.
Tom Manger’s commitment to the safety and security of Fairfax County residents is hard to beat. The challenge for the Board of Supervisors is finding a successor who embodies his commitment and courage as the next Fairfax County police chief. We owe a big “thank you” to Tom Manger for his nearly three decades of service to Fairfax County, and wish him good luck in his new position across the river.
