Fairfax County Police Association issued the following statement on Fairfax County Police Chief Edwin Roessler’s baffling decision to suspend an officer for following the law-
Fairfax County Police Association (FCPA) response to the statement of Chief Roessler, Officer’s Custodial Detention and ICE Notification:
”Officers with the Fairfax County Police Department strive daily to serve a large and diverse community despite being forced to work with the lowest ratio of officers per capita of any major police department in the nation. We hold ourselves to the highest of standards, but honest mistakes are inevitable. On September 21st, one of our officers responded to a motor vehicle accident and found that an involved party was unlicensed. When the officer conducted a routine operator’s license query, they received an atypical notification for an administrative warrant of removal. The officer confirmed the warrant entry, notified ICE and briefly detained the subject for ICE to respond. The actions they took were done with the best of intentions and in keeping with what they believed was the spirit of the law.”
The FCPA condemns the statement made by Chief Roessler as inflammatory and demoralizing. This incident has been sensationalized and our officer has been sacrificed in favor of a media spectacle. This comes at a time when our department is already experiencing an unparalleled deterioration in morale and an unprecedented distrust of our leadership. Politically motivated decisions cannot be disguised as transparency. We appreciate the outpouring of support that has been received from our community and around the country.
-FCPA Board
The FCPA statement only “condemns the statement made by Chief Roessler” (emphasis mine), it does not specifically condemn the action taken by the chief and FCPA does not call for the immediate reinstatement of the suspended officer, nor do they go far enough to call for the chief’s resignation.
The suspended officer is due back to work on Friday after completing a training program. Unclear as to exactly what that training program includes.
This is a developing story. We doubt the news of this will stop here. Hopefully more pressure will be applied and this foolish police chief will either resign or be removed. Either way, the citizens of Fairfax County deserve better.
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