Editor,

Now that the elections are over, yard signs are pulled up and neighbor loves neighbor again, Congratulations to all the winners. Now, however, it is time for those (re)elected to get to the work of governing.

It concerns me that our police are so grossly under funded. The police give us the security to be as proud as we are about this city. There are no ‘Thank You” yard signs for them, only ‘Use of Force’ community committees to answer to and body cameras to wear. As anyone in this city who has had dealings with our police would agree, they deserve the title ‘finest’.

We have the same amount of police officers on the force now (32) as we did in 1984-yet with almost 40 percent more population?

While our population is 14,000+, an estimated 80,000 are in Falls Church City each day?

While the current city budget does have an increase for officers, Chief of Police Gavin was forced to use the new officer allocation to combat attrition?

We have a few as 3 patrol officers on staff during certain shifts, many on overtime hours? For crying out loud, that is only one more than Mayberry!

We cannot call ourselves the Little City only when it is convenient or quaint. When you develop, there are residual costs that need to be met. Police is first and foremost.

I remember when the police blotter in this paper was half filled with “drunk in public”. I used to laugh when I read it. Now the crime report is filled with thefts, assaults and break-ins every week. Additionally, let’s not pretend that there is an invisible force field around our city. A murder(!) took place just steps from our utopia just last month. If we have the money to give our town Government a new building, our students a new school and our citizens a new library, shouldn’t we give the town police the needed new staff?

Mr. Snyder, Ms. Connelly, Ms. Hiscott, Ms. Lian, once again congratulations on your victories, and thank you for your service to our community. I implore you and the rest of the existing council to allocate the funds needed to allow the police to continue to do their fine work.

John Memoli
Falls Church