For more than 14 years,  the Fairfax County Police Department has offered information about calls for service using a web-based mapping system. 

The latest platform — which recently took on a new name after the merger of CrimeReports.com with Motorola — is called CityProtect.

Although the platform now has a different name following the merger, FCPD Sgt. Tara Gerhard told Reston Now that the features are the same. The department’s internal reporting system connects with the website to automatically public an interactive map.

The service is free and users can sign up to receive alerts.  Users can also filter the data based on the type of incident and the date.

“CityProtect provides a convenient, web-based platform which allows us to continue to be transparent with our community by sharing local police-related information,” Gerhard said.

Incidents like domestic violence, traffic-related incidents, and homicides are not captured by the platform.

FCPD also recently launched a new data dashboard, which provides public information about arrests, citations, warnings and department training procedures and other policies.

Image via CityProtect

Amidst national calls for transparency and accountability in policing, the Fairfax County Police Department is launching a new interactive data dashboard.

The tool, which is based on Geographic Information System mapping, houses data including arrests, citations, warnings and police department training and policies. FCPD will debut the new platform at a series of virtual town halls beginning on Nov. 18.

“We look forward to implementing this additional layer of accountability and leveraging data analytics to continue to strengthen trust and confidence in your police department,” FCPD wrote in a statement.

The department says the tool was designed based on community input.

“Our new GIS-based data dashboards were designed with input from stakeholders and we will continue to. Have healthy discussions with each of you concerning police policies and operations in all communities,” wrote FCPD Chief Edwin Roessler Jr. in a letter to the community on Oct.  16.

A renewed focus on FCPD’s operations is expected in early 2021 when a team of researchers from the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) is expected to complete an academic analysis of FCPD’s data and its relationship to core operations today.

The review was initiated at the direction of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors and the county’s Independent Police Auditor.

Researchers at UTSA are studying the department’s culture after a study released in 2017 found that roughly 40 percent of all use-of-force incidents involve a Black individual.

Across the country, similar conversations about transparency in policing have resulted in reform and additional policy directives.

Recent arrest data released by the departments shows some evidence of disproportionate policing in the county. The data indicate that Black individuals make up roughly 39 percent of all arrests last year. Black residents account for 9.7 percent of the total population.

FCPD officers arrested 34,330 people in 2019, 57 percent of which were white. White residents make up roughly 61 percent of the total population.

In 2017, a study found that roughly 40 percent of all use-of-force incidents involve a Black individual.

Roessler Jr. says his department is grateful for “the additional layer of accountability” provided by the data sets and the ongoing academic review.

“Together, we shall continue to leverage data analytics to build trust,” he said.

FCPD plans to host virtual town halls with district station commanders to discuss training and policies related to the data sets. The complete schedule, including links to the meetings, is below:

• Fair Oaks District – Nov. 18 https://bit.ly/3eJt3Uo
• West Springfield District – Nov. 24 https://bit.ly/3khd01i
• Sully District – Dec. 9 https://bit.ly/2JYG8y9
• Mount Vernon District – Dec. 16 https://bit.ly/3peB8Wb
• McLean District – Jan. 6 https://bit.ly/3kk4ZZz
• Mason District – Jan. 20 https://bit.ly/32tXLfi
• Reston District – Feb. 4 https://bit.ly/38vYDUG
• Franconia District – Feb.  17 https://bit.ly/3ncEVBy

All meetings will be recorded and released the public at a later date.

Image via FCPD, Fairfax County Government

In addition to a weekly crime report, Reston Now published monthly maps detailing all major crime incidents reported by the Fairfax County Police Department”s Reston District Station.

A example of a map from July 2017 is below.

We would love to know if you would like us to restart this monthly map. All reports of crime incidents are pulled from daily information provided by FCPD.

Photo via FCPD

Crime reports provided by Fairfax County Police Department in the month of September, plotted in the interactive map above, show a wide variety of incidents through the Reston District Station. Use the icon in the top left corner of the map to toggle the types of crimes displayed.

In total, FCPD’s September reports included the following breakdown of criminal incidents in the area:

• 65 larcenies
• 7 burglaries
• 3 robberies
• 1 stolen vehicle
• 1 case of shots fired (gunfire exchanged near the Southgate Community Center)

The 65 larcenies marks a continued trend, as the number increases from 64 in August and 61 in July. In both May and June, the number was below 50.

The seven burglary reports include multiple incidents of people being awakened by strangers in their home. Another burglar took a man’s wallet, car keys and laptops before stealing in his car.

The three robberies include the armed robbery of a pizza delivery driver in Deepwood, a teen jumped in the area of Glade Drive and Pinecrest Road, and a theft from a Herndon gas station.

Residents also continue to report the sounds of late-night gunshots, though police have found nothing of interest in many investigations.

We interviewed Capt. Ron Manzo, commander of the Reston District Station, in September. He maintained that it is important to keep perspective, as the number of crimes that take place within the Reston District Station is relatively small.

“Reston is a safe community, [and] Fairfax County is a safe county,” Manzo told us.

Anyone with information about any of these crimes should call 703-691-2131 or 1-866-411-TIPS(8477), or text “TIP187” plus the message to CRIMES(274637).

The Reston District Station of FCPD covers Reston, Great Falls and portions of Herndon and Vienna.

Fairfax County’s police reports are not comprehensive lists of every police event in the stated time frame. Addresses shown indicate blocks and not specific locations, unless otherwise noted. This data was compiled using the reports released by police between Sept. 1 and Sept. 30, meaning some of the incidents occurred in late August.

Crime reports provided by Fairfax County Police Department in the month of August, plotted in the interactive map above, show a wide variety of incidents through the Reston District Station. Use the icon in the top left corner of the map to toggle the types of crimes displayed.

In total, FCPD’s August reports included the following breakdown of criminal incidents in the area:

• 64 larcenies
• 4 stolen vehicles
• 3 assault incidents
• 1 burglary
• 1 destruction of property/discharge of weapon (vehicle break-ins on Vantage Hill Road)

The 64 larcenies marks a continued trend, as the number increases from 61 in July. In both May and June, the number was below 50.

The three assaults listed in August crime reports included an attempted sexual assault near Tall Oaks Village Center, an attempted robbery in Hunters Woods Village Center, and an incident where three men were attacked by a group on South Lakes Drive.

The four reported stolen vehicles equals the total from the past three months combined. (There was one in May, two in June and one in July.) Two were within the Reston community; the other two were in the Herndon and Vienna areas.

Anyone with information about any of these crimes should call 703-691-2131 or 1-866-411-TIPS(8477), or text “TIP187” plus the message to CRIMES(274637).

The Reston District Station of FCPD covers Reston, Great Falls and portions of Herndon and Vienna.

Fairfax County’s police reports are not comprehensive lists of every police event in the stated time frame. Addresses shown indicate blocks and not specific locations, unless otherwise noted. This data was compiled using the reports released by police between Aug. 1 and Aug. 31, meaning some of the incidents occurred in late July.

Crime reports provided by Fairfax County Police Department in the month of July, plotted in the interactive map above, show a wide variety of incidents through the Reston District Station. Use the icon in the top left corner of the map to toggle the types of crimes displayed.

In total, FCPD’s July reports included the following breakdown of criminal incidents in the area:

• 61 larcenies
• 5 burglaries or attempted burglaries
• 1 bias incident
• 1 case of shots fired
• 1 stolen vehicle

The 61 larcenies represent an increase from May and June (49 and 46, respectively).

Fairfax County Police in July also arrested the ex-treasurer of the South Lakes High School athletics booster club, charging him with embezzling at least $60,000 while he was in his role.

Anyone with information about any of these crimes should call 703-691-2131 or 1-866-411-TIPS(8477), or text “TIP187” plus the message to CRIMES(274637).

The Reston District Station of FCPD covers Reston, Great Falls and portions of Herndon and Vienna.

Fairfax County’s police reports are not comprehensive lists of every police event in the stated time frame. Addresses shown indicate blocks and not specific locations, unless otherwise noted. This data was compiled using the reports released by police between July 1 and July 31, meaning some of the incidents occurred in late June.

Crime reports provided by Fairfax County Police Department in the month of June, plotted in the interactive map above, show a wide variety of incidents through the Reston District Station. Use the icon in the top left corner of the map to toggle the types of crimes displayed.

In total, FCPD’s June reports included the following breakdown of criminal incidents in the area:

• 46 larcenies
• 3 burglary/unlawful entry investigations
• 3 indecent exposure/peeping reports
• 2 stolen vehicles
• 1 commercial robbery
• 1 scam report

Of course, the biggest crime story in the area in the month of June was the attack, abduction and murder of Nabra Hassanen on June 18. The suspect in her death, Darwin Martinez Torres, remains in custody at Fairfax County Adult Detention Center, awaiting a July 19 court date.

Anyone with information about any of these crimes should call 703-691-2131 or 1-866-411-TIPS(8477), or text “TIP187” plus the message to CRIMES(274637).

The Reston District Station of FCPD covers Reston, Great Falls and portions of Herndon and Vienna.

Fairfax County’s police reports are not comprehensive lists of every police event in the stated time frame. Addresses shown indicate blocks and not specific locations, unless otherwise noted. This data was compiled using the reports released by police between June 1 and June 30, meaning some of the incidents occurred in late May.

Crime reports provided by Fairfax County Police Department in the month of May, plotted in the interactive map above, show a wide variety of incidents through the Reston District Station. Use the icon in the top left corner of the map to toggle the types of crimes displayed.

In total, FCPD’s May reports included the following breakdown of criminal incidents in the area:

• 49 larcenies
• 3 armed robberies
• 3 burglary investigations
• 2 shoplifting arrests
• 2 commercial robberies
• 1 indecent exposure report
• 1 stolen vehicle

The three armed robberies took place in Reston within an hour and a half, between 12:23 and 1:50 a.m., on May 30. The two commercial robberies were part of a string of three (the other was in Loudoun County) in the early-morning hours of May 25.

Anyone with information about any of these crimes should call 703-691-2131 or 1-866-411-TIPS(8477), or text “TIP187” plus the message to CRIMES(274637).

The Reston District Station of FCPD covers Reston, Great Falls and portions of Herndon and Vienna.

Fairfax County’s police reports are not comprehensive lists of every police event in the stated time frame. Addresses shown indicate blocks and not specific locations, unless otherwise noted. This data was compiled using the reports released by police between May 1 and May 31, meaning some of the incidents occurred in late April.