Highlights of the 28-page 2024 Annual Report of the City of Falls Church’s Police Department were provided in person by Chief Shahram Fard at Monday’s F.C. City Council meeting. The Council had considerable questions, and the most important had to do with professional development and standards. Chief Fard answered all in depth, and the bottom line is that, despite the incredibly rapid growth of the population in the Little City and the array of valued property assets associated with the swift economic growth here, crime rates have not risen and in many cases declined. This is in the context of an aggressive commitment to achieve the highest accreditation standards for the department.
Chief Fard, who has been on the job here since January 2024, noted that with his arrival last year, the formal process of accreditation with the Commission of Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) that had been allowed to lapse was initiated. The annual report notes that “this rigorous process involves a comprehensive review of Departmental policies, procedures, practices, and operations to ensure compliance with national standards.”
Several new and advanced training topics and courses were incorporated into the Professional Development Unit’s 2024 curriculum, including: The FBI-LEEDA Basic Supervisor Liability program is now required for all supervisors, which covers a review of constitutional standards applicable to supervisor liability, deliberate indifference, and legal standards applicable to use-of-force and internal investigations.”
Also, there is the International Association of Chiefs of Police’s Women’s Leadership Institute, a leadership training program for women leaders and those developing women leaders. It includes an annual ethics refresher course that explores topics like honesty, personal health responsibilities, integrity, and on-and-off-duty conduct. Also, there is committed to de-escalation training for non-sworn professional staff, aligning with the Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) trainings required of all sworn personnel. As well, it utilizes the resources of a unique use-of-force course, offered by the Virginia Risk Sharing Association, for sworn staff to highlight the understanding and application of reasonable use-of-force, the importance of proper use-of-force documentation, and how to assess their narratives to improve their civil and criminal court testimony.
The Falls Church Police Department, according to this annual report, “recognizes and respects the value of all human life and dignity without prejudice to anyone,” adding, “We take seriously all applications of force and complaints of misconduct of our members. We accept and address all complaints in accordance with our policies and applicable federal, state, and local laws. Complaints may be generated internally or externally by the public.”
“The police are the people, and the people are the police,” is the key summarizing slogan in the report. “The Falls Church Police Department seeks to be guardians to all people and places in The Little City.’
New additions to the force in 2024 included Chief Fard, and chaplains Burl Salmon and James Page, and officers Eskedar Bezabeh, Micah Hendricks, Devonte Lemons and Jeremiah Peralta.
Falls Church residents and businesses alike should take heart from this excellent report.
