FCPD’s Proactive Approach Yields Promising Reduction in Summer Crime: June 2023 Initiative Update

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Fairfax, VA – In just one month since the kick-off of the 2023 Summer Crime Prevention Initiative, the Fairfax County Police Department (FCPD) has been able to affect exceptional results in retail theft.

Starting in June of this year, FCPD aligned patrol officers and selective enforcement group efforts to address specific, data-informed crime trends across Fairfax County. The department’s efforts   were affected using a three-prong approach:

  1. Proactive Patrol – FCPD officers increased their presence and patrols in areas identified as having heightened calls for service for shoplifting and retail theft.
  2. Increased Community Engagement – FCPD officers enhanced their community partnerships through engagement and conversations with citizens in areas affected by this crime.
  3. Connecting with Businesses – Through the use of strategic data, FCPD officers contacted local businesses who have experienced high rates of retail thefts. Our officers then held meetings to discuss the crimes occurring and offered tips about how they can keep their businesses safe.

FCPD’s success in decreasing retail thefts and shoplifting offenses has been in large part due to the hard work and dedication of our officers enforcing the initiative. We are laser-focused on protecting our county’s thriving businesses and ensuring criminals are stopped before they get the opportunity to target our community. The summer months, particularly June, are notoriously the highest for shoplifting crime in Fairfax County. However, with our efforts this month, we were able to achieve a significant decrease in this crime across the county.

Our Summer Crime Prevention Initiative team has been active across the entire county, protecting against criminals preying upon our local businesses. Just this month, the Summer Crime Prevention team coordinated with the Tysons Urban Team (TUT) to swiftly arrest two shoplifting suspects who were caught in the act of stealing from a local retailer. The suspect’s minivan was located and was full of stolen high-end merchandise estimated at over $10,000. The team’s significant case closure is only one of many that have ended in FCPD returning thousands of dollars of merchandise to businesses this month.

As FCPD continues the program through July and August, the coordinated efforts to reduce crime through strategic prevention and focused enforcement will continue to evolve and improve. Initiatives such as this are vital to ensuring Fairfax County community members are safe and informed. FCPD is at the forefront of implementing strategic crime prevention tactics, and the success of these programs is demonstrated daily through the notable data trends.

For ongoing updates, please read our blog and follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at @FairfaxCountyPD