The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday ordered an audit of the county police department, even as it staunchly defended the department’s performance against ongoing complaints from a local citizens group. The group — Virginia Citizens’ Coalition for Police Accountability — appeared before the board at its public safety committee meeting to argue for outside oversight of police beyond the scope of a county audit. Specifically, they want a citizen board to review complaints against the department.
The group has cited a variety of complaints against the department over the last decade, including a 2008 fatal accident caused by an officer running a red light without lights or siren. But instead of being allowed to make their case, the group was given several minutes at the end of the meeting to react to the board’s decision to order an audit.
“They lied to us — they had promised us 10 minutes to speak,” said Ronald Koch, the group’s president. “It’s typical of the county.”
County Chairman Sharon Bulova, D-at large, said afterward that the meeting was not a public hearing, and that any comment from the public at committee meetings is not standard.
Board members seemed perturbed by the public comment, with Supervisor Michael Frey, R-Sully, questioning the group’s legitimacy.
The audit, to be completed over the next few months by the county’s internal auditor, will examine the police department’s management practices and how it reviews complaints. Police Chief David Rohrer supported the audit.
County Executive Anthony Griffin said he would look into creating an appeals process for citizens who feel their complaints have not adequately been handled. Currently, the police department handles complaints internally with no option for appeal.
The lack of an appeal “is the only gap we have,” Rohrer said.
Even so, some board members were reluctant to support an appeals process.
“I would also be fine without having anything change,” said Supervisor Penny Gross, D-Mason. “I don’t think we need to make the job of the department that much harder because of a few specific cases.”
Shirley Stewart, a member of the citizens coalition, took issue with the board’s championing of the police department throughout the meeting.
“I would think the board already knows what’s going right in the department, but what they didn’t talk about is what’s going wrong,” she said.
