Fairfax County Police are thanking Reston citizens for their help in locating a missing elderly woman Thursday night.

Officers from the Reston District Station said the 77-year-old woman, who suffers from dementia, walked away from the 9700 block of Georgetown Pike near Great Falls about 5:30 p.m., said police spokeswoman Lucy Caldewell.

Police patrols, including a bloodhound, searched for several hours, but were unsuccessful. About 10 p.m., they enlisted the Office of Emergency Management, which placed a reverse 911 call to homes in the Reston-Great Falls area.

Caldwell said some 22,000 homes with landlines within a five-mile radius of Georgetown Pike received calls.

“Immediately, dispatch phones rang with reported sightings of the missing woman,” Caldwell said. “Finally, after six hours of searching, thanks to a thoughtful resident that received the reverse 911 call, the woman was located on a top floor parking garage stairwell at Reston Town Center at 11:45 p.m. She was ushered to warmth and safety at the Reston Police Station. “

Caldwell said some residents were upset at receiving the call at the late hour.

“Due to the nature of the circumstance (critical missing person — life threatening emergency) the decision was made to implement reverse 911,” she said. Reverse 911 is not something residents sign up for. In emergencies, these landline numbers are provided to public safety personnel and are to be used only in life-threatening/urgent situations, she added.

Fairfax County Police are investigating a burglary that took place in the 11400 block of Sunset Hills Road on Monday.

An employee reported someone entered the business, which is located near Reston Station Boulevard and the Wiehle-Reston East Metro Station, and took property.

In other crime news reported by the Reston District Station:

LARCENIES

12000 block of Town Square, merchandise from business.

700 block of Walker Road, property from residence.

1700 block of Business Center Drive, property and wallet from business.

1700 block of Business Center Drive, property, wallet and cash from business.

11800 block of Spectrum Center, merchandise from business.

Photo: Sunset Hills Road/File photo

Capt. Mike Wall, Commander of the Fairfax County Police Department’s Reston District Station, said overall crime in Reston is down 14 percent when compared to this time last year.

Wall gave the station’s semi-annual “state of crime in the district” report to the Reston Association Board at its regular meeting on Thursday.

“We are very happy to have crime numbers down this year,” he said.

Some of the highlights, according to Wall:

• Robberies down 53 percent in 2014,  “which is huge,” he said. There have been 15 reported so far in 2014. There were 32 at this time last year, he said.
• Larceny and theft are down 19 percent:  825 compared with 1,023 at this point in 2013.
• Burglaries are down 27 percent: 69 compared to 97.
• Destruction of property is down 19 percent, with reports of 465 compared to 574.

“The reduction is a result of proactive patrols, arrests being made, and sometimes blind luck,” said Wall. “You never know how many crimes you prevented, but we are happy to see numbers trending downward.”

One area in which numbers are rising are DUI arrests, said Wall. The Captain said DUI arrests are up 27 percent from this time in 2013. There have been 210 this year compared with 150 through October 2013.

“DUIs are always a double-edged sword,” he said. ” We are glad to see that many arrests, but sad to see that many drunks on the road and wondering how many we are missing that are out there.”

In other crime trends, Wall said the department has worked on several projects to deter crime.
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Fairfax County Police are investigating an armed robbery that took place last Tuesday in the parking lot of the Stratford Condominiums near the intersection of Sunset Hills Road and Reston Parkway.

Police said they were called to the 1800 block of Stratford Park Place at 8 p.m. on Oct. 14. The victim told police she was approached by a man. The suspect displayed a handgun and demanded money, the victim said. The suspect took cash from the woman, who did not require medical treatment, police said.

 The suspect was described by the victim as Hispanic and wearing dark clothing.

In other crime news from the Reston District Station this week:

BURGLARY, 11800 block of Fawn Ridge Lane, Oct. 16. A resident reported someone entered the residence and took property.

LARCENIES

1500 block of Northgate Square, cash from business.

12000 block of Greywing Square, bicycle from residence.

2400 block of Pyrenees Court, property from residence.

1700 block of Seagull Court, property from residence.

230 block of Hunters Woods Plaza, beverages from business.

STOLEN VEHICLES

11400 block of South Lakes Drive, 2005 Scion.

A man walking near the entrance of Hidden Creek County Club was attacked and robbed in broad daylight Thursday.

The victim was approached from behind at North Shore and Wainwright drives by two teen boys at about 5:45 p.m., Fairfax County Police said. One of the teens punched the man and stole property from him. The victim did not suffer serious injuries, police said.

In other crime news from Reston District Station through Monday, Oct. 6:

INDECENT EXPOSURE: A woman was walking on the sidewalk of the 2500 block of Cornelia Road on Sept. 30 when a man exposed himself. The suspect is in his 20s and stands about 5-foot-5 to 5-foot-7.

BURGLARIES

• 1100 block of Round Pebble Lane, Oct. 4. Someone entered a home and took cash from a vehicle in a garage
• 2400 block of Founders Way, Sept. 22. Someone entered and stole from a home.

LARCENIES

• 2800 block of Rolling Fork Circle, cash stolen from a home
• 11400 block of Orchard Lane, property stolen from a home
• 10500 block of Wynfield Woods Drive, property stolen from a home
• 900 block of Locust Street, purse stolen from a vehicle, near the American Chinese School in Herndon
• 13200 block of Coppermill Drive, purse stolen from a vehicle
• 11700 block of Newbridge Court, license plate stolen from a vehicle
• 11900 block of Market Street, property stolen from a business in Reston Town Center Plaza
• 2300 block of Hunters Woods Plaza, merchandise stolen from a business in Hunters Woods Plaza
• 11700 block of Sunrise Valley Drive, cash stolen from a business

The Fairfax County Police Department has released two new videos on how to prevent human trafficking.

Det. Bill Woolf of the FCPD’s Human Trafficking Unit advises parents to monitor their teenagers’ online activity to protect them from predators.

“If parents aren’t engaged, if they’re not monitoring their kids’ activities and behaviors, it’s very possible that they could be being scouted and manipulated into teen sex trafficking,” Woolf said.

Police promoted the videos on Tuesday for the one-year anniversary of the “Just Ask” Prevention Project, for which the Northern Virginia Human Trafficking Task Force received a $1 million federal grant.

More than 250 human trafficking victims were identified in Northern Virginia in the past year, Woolf told The Centreville Independent. Help was offered to victims after police received 141 tips from locals, Woolf said.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XIi7tTrA28E

A Reston man was charged with sex trafficking in May after he manipulated a mentally incapacitated woman into prostitution, police said.

Fairfax County Police said report a burglary near Hunters Woods Village Center in Reston on Sept. 23.

Police said a resident in the 12000 block of Greywing Square resident reported someone entered the residence and took property.

A previous burglary took place in the 2400 block of Founders Way in Herndon on Sept. 22. A resident reported someone entered the residence and took property.

In other news from the Reston District Station this week:

INDECENT EXPOSURE, 2400 block of Masons Ferry Drive, Herndon, Sept. 21. A woman was in a parking lot when a man exposed himself. The suspect was described as black, in his 30’s and about 5 feet 11 inches tall.

ATTEMPTED ROBBERY, 1300 block of Mason Mill Court, Herndon, Sept. 20. 3:04 a.m. The victim was approached by a man while in the garage of his residence. The suspect produced a handgun and demanded money. The victim resisted and the suspect fled on foot.  The victim did not require rescue. The suspect was described as white, between 5 feet 10 and 6 feet 2 inches tall.

LARCENIES

• 11400 block of Isaac Newton Square, purse from vehicle.
• 11200 block of Chestnut Grove Square, briefcase from vehicle.
• 11800 block of Sunrise Valley Drive, beverages from residence.
• 9400 block of Oak Falls Court, jewelry from residence.
• 2300 block of Elm Tree Court, bicycles from residence.
• 2300 block of Hunters Woods Plaza, bicycle from business.
• 11800 block of Spectrum Center, beverages from business.
•  2300 block of Hunters Woods Plaza, beverages from business.
• 1800 block of Explorer Street, wallet from business.
• 900 block of Locust Street, phone from business.
• 1200 block of Rowland Drive, license plate from vehicle.

A 69-year-old woman on a bicycle was injured when she was struck by a motorist at Wiehle Avenue near Center Harbor Road on Tuesday morning, Fairfax County Police spokeswoman Lucy Caldwell said.

Fairfax County Police said the 17-year-old driver of the car was traveling north on Wiehle Ave approaching the intersection of Center Harbor about 8:40 a.m.

The bicyclist was crossing Wiehle Ave at Center Harbor. The driver had a solid green light and was proceeding through the intersection when the bicyclist entered the intersection and was struck by the driver’s vehicle, the police report said.

The bicyclist suffered serious injuries. Fairfax County’s medical helicopter arrived and flew the cyclist to Inova Fairfax Hospital, where her condition, originally determined to be life-threatening injuries, was upgraded to non-life threatening after a CT scan.

Members of the Crash Reconstruction Unit assisted police patrol with the investigation. They determined that the bicyclist was at fault, police said.

Meanwhile, representatives from the Hunter Mill Supervisors office say they have asked the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) “about the pedestrian, bicycle and motorist issues in the northern area of Reston specifically on Wiehle Avenue, Reston Parkway, Center Harbor Road, and Lake Newport Road.”

VDOT staff will evaluate the information to help formulate recommendations for future safety improvements.

Earlier this year, a teen was killed while riding a minibike at Wiehle Avenue and Reston Parkway.

Fairfax County Police converged in the 2300 block of Old Trail Dr. in Reston Monday night after they were tipped off on impending fight with possible gunfire.

Police spokesman Lucy Caldwell says officers were called to the scene about 7:15 p.m. after the complainant said a large group of teens were assembled.

By the time police arrived, the group had scattered, said Caldwell.

The police brought in the helicopter and a bloodhound to help track possible suspects. While the officers were searching, they heard what sounded like gunshots, but they were coming “from some distance away,” said Caldwell.

After checking area hospitals, police did not find any evidence of a shooting with injuries, Caldwell said.

In other crime news this week from Reston District Station:

INDECENT EXPOSURE, 2400 block of Masons Perry Drive, Sept. 21. A woman was in a parking lot when a man exposed himself. The suspect was described as black, in his 30’s and about 5 feet 11 inches tall.

ATTEMPTED ROBBERY, 1300 block of Mason Mill Court, Sept. 20. The victim was approached by a man while in the garage of his residence. The suspect produced a handgun and demanded money. The victim resisted and the suspect fled on foot.  The victim did not require rescue. The suspect was described as white, between 5 feet 10 and 6 feet 2 inches tall.

BURGLARIES

• 12500 block of Philmont Drive, Sept. 19. A resident reported someone entered the residence and took property.
• 1100 block of Waterline Pointe Ln, Sept. 20. A resident reported someone entered the residence and took property.
• 2100 block of Monaghan Drive, Sept. 16. A resident reported someone entered the residence and took property.

LARCENIES

• 11600 block of Plaza America Drive, electronic device from business.
• 12100 block of Sunset Hills Road, bicycle from business.
• 2300 block of Hunters Woods Plaza, beverages from business.
• 1100 block of Plaza America, property from business.
• 11600 block of Stoneview Square, phone from business.
• 11800 block of Sunrise Valley Drive, beverages from residence.
• 9800 block of Faust Drive, purse from vehicle.
• 1800 block of Michael Faraday Drive, wallet from business.
• 12200 block of Sunset Hills Road, license plates from vehicle.

STOLEN VEHICLES

• 1500 block of North Point Drive, 2002 BMW Xi.

Fairfax County Police said they charged three drivers with driving while intoxicated during a sobriety checkpoint at Fairfax County Parkway and North Walnut Branch Road Friday night.

Six-hundred-four vehicles passed through the checkpoint, police said. Police issued three summonses were issued and made one criminal arrest.

FCPS officers from the Sully, Reston and Fair Oaks Police districts also participated in a directed patrol on Friday, charging three with DWI and issuing 49 summonses.

In other crime news for the week ending Sept. 15:

BURGLARY

• 13000 block of Poener Place, Sept. 14.  A resident reported someone entered the residence and took property.

LARCENIES

• 11900 block of Freedom Drive, laptop computer and electronic device from vehicle.
• 11700 block of Ledura Court, bicycle from residence.
• 1800 block of Explorer Street, wallet from business.
• 1800 block of Hunters Woods Plaza, beverages from business.
• 1400 block of North Point Village Center, merchandise from business.
• 13100 block of Parcher Avenue, beverages from business.
• 1700 block of Port Place, wallet from business.
• 1600 block of Becontree Lane, purse from vehicle.
• 600 block of Brockman Court, wallet and phone from business.
• 2100 block of Centreville Road, merchandise from business.
• 11800 block of Sunrise Valley Drive, beverages from business.
• 9000 block of Weant Drive, cash and property from residence.

There will be a sobriety checkpoint in the Reston District on Friday, Sept. 12, Fairfax County Police said.

The Fairfax County Police Department routinely patrols the roadways for drunk and impaired drivers. Police say that sobriety checkpoints are one of the tools they use to make sure drivers are not drinking and driving.

Police did not say the time or location of the checkpoint.

In other news from this week’s crime report:

LARCENIES

11700 block of Ledura Court, bicycle from residence.

11900 block of Freedom Drive, laptop computer and electronic device from vehicle.

1800 block of Breathill Way, property from residence.

2300 block of Hunters Woods Plaza, merchandise from business.

1500 block of Inlet Court, merchandise from business.

1400 block of Northgate Square, electronic equipment from business.

Fairfax County Police said Monday that American flag patches were never banned from uniforms and that “the Chief of Police has always endorsed the wearing of the American flag on the uniform shirt and has extended this to include the exterior vest.”

FCPD made this clarification in response to a story in The Washington Post that said Chief Edwin Roessler was “rescinding a policy banning the American flag and other patches on the outer ballistic vests of officers.”

Roessler said a subordinate commander had written the directive to create uniformity in the officers’ appearances late last month, but the policy was not approved by him before it was disbursed, the Post reported. The Post also reported that that directive angered rank-and-file police officers.

Joseph Woloszyn, president of the Virginia Police Benevolent Association, said in the first article, published Friday, that “banning American flag patches is just un- ­American.”

FCPD says the misunderstanding came about when the internal message sent to officers “addressed an issue that officers were wearing unapproved items on uniforms prior to the establishment of a formal agency policy on the matter. Unfortunately, this created an unintentional perception that American flags have been banned from our uniforms.”

Says FCPD:

We have clarified to officers that the American flag has not been banned from our uniforms, and in fact, the Chief of Police has always endorsed the wearing of the American flag on the uniform shirt and has extended this to include the exterior vest.  Officers who choose to display an American flag on their uniform or exterior vest are encouraged to do so as long as they comply with all agency standard uniform protocols.

The Chief also directed that the Uniform Advisory Panel (UAP) will convene and will provide considerations and recommendations regarding the consistency of displaying items on the external vest.  The UAP is comprised of employees from a wide variety of agency units and represents all uniforms, ensuring input from all impacted units agency-wide.

Fairfax County Police say they are investigating a peeping incident that occurred earlier this week in Reston.

A resident in the 2000 block of Royal Fern Court told police they looked out the window and saw a man looking into the room about 9:40 p.m. on Tuesday. The suspect fled before police arrived.

The suspect was described as Hispanic and about 30 to 35.

In other recent reported crime news:

LARCENIES

1900 block of Isaac Newton Square, license plates from vehicles.

11100 block of South Lakes Drive, merchandise from business.

2000 block of Upper Lake Drive, property from residence.

Officers from Fairfax County Police’s Reston District Station report a number of thefts of items from vehicles in the last few days. Among the larcenies reported by the FCPD for the week ending Sept. 2:

1900 block of Belmont Ridge Court, laptop from vehicle

11300 block of Links Drive, license plate from vehicle

12800 block of Tournament Drive, wallet from vehicle

11800 block of Dunlop Court, wallet from residence

2600 block of Meadow Hall Drive, purse from vehicle

11800 block of Sunrise Valley Drive, merchandise from business

13000 block of Elm Tree Drive, bicycle from residence

1400 block of Lake Fairfax Drive, property and cash from business