As Chief Gavin Sets to Leave After 16 Years
Falls Church City Manager Wyatt Shields announced yesterday the hiring of Shahram Fard as the new City of Falls Church Police Chief and Director of Public Safety. Fard will join the City in this leadership position on January 22, 2024.
“I am pleased to welcome Mr. Fard to the City of Falls Church,” Shields said in a written City Hall statement. “Throughout the interview process it was clear that with Mr. Fard’s record as a senior leader in Northern Virginia’s law enforcement community that he is a perfect fit for our community. I look forward to working with him and continuing the high standards for community-based public safety for which our police department is known.”
Fard’s career includes service with the Alexandria Sheriff’s Office where he currently serves as Chief Deputy, leading the Judicial and Field Operations Bureau. Fard is a 25-year veteran of the City of Alexandria Police Department, where he rose through the ranks to Deputy Chief of Police. He has held leadership positions with the Northern Virginia Criminal Justice Training Academy and the International Association of Chiefs of Police and is currently an adjunct faculty member with the George Mason University Department of Criminology, Law, and Society.
“I am deeply honored to have been chosen as the Chief of Police and Director of Public Safety for the City of Falls Church. It is with great humility that I express my gratitude to City Manager Shields for entrusting me with this incredible opportunity,” Fard said in a written statement.
He added, “I would also like to recognize Chief Mary Gavin for her years of exceptional leadership and service to the Northern Virginia public safety community, as well as for her many accomplishments in Falls Church. Joining the Falls Church Police Department team is an absolute thrill and a privilege. I am excited to contribute and help uphold the tradition of excellence they are known for locally and nationally. I am eagerly looking forward to collaborating with everyone in the City of Falls Church community to provide exceptional public safety services.”
According to City Hall, Fard belongs to a number of professional associations, including the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the Virginia Association of Chiefs of Police, the FBI National Academy Associates, the National Sheriff’s Association, the Virginia Sheriff’s Association, and the Police Executive Research Forum.
Fard earned a Master of Science and a Bachelor of Science in Organizational Leadership from the Johns Hopkins University. He also earned a Certificate in Criminal Justice Education from the University of Virginia and a Certified Public Manager credential from the Metropolitan Washington Council of Government and George Washington University’s Institute for Regional Excellence.
The City undertook a national recruitment upon the announcement of Chief Mary Gavin’s retirement, which will take effect January 1, 2024. The City was assisted by the Virginia Association of Chiefs of Police in the interview and vetting of thirty-seven qualified candidates. Three finalists were interviewed by a series of panels: one composed of community representatives, a second panel of members of the Falls Church Police Department, and a third panel of current and retired Police Chiefs from across Virginia. The three panels provided the City Manager with insight and perspective in the Chief selection process.
Deputy Chief Major Jiwan Chhetri will serve as Interim Chief of Police and Director of Public Safety for the three weeks between Chief Mary Gavin’s retirement and Chief Shahram Fard taking office on January 22.
