Vacancies Prompt Staffing Adjustments For Fairfax County Police

FAIRFAX COUNTY, VA — Like other law enforcement agencies around the U.S. the Fairfax County Police Department is grappling with staffing shortages.

WJLA first reported the police department's staffing shortages, prompting longer shifts for existing officers. A police spokesperson told Patch in an email the police department has 189 operational vacancies. However, there are 51 recruits training at the Northern Virginia Criminal Justice Academy, which will bring vacancies down to 138.

Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay addressed the staffing shortage in his latest newsletter, confirming the police department is reducing daily shifts from three to two. That means officers will work longer shifts with mandatory overtime.

"By reducing the number of daily shifts from 3 to 2 it will allow for increased station staffing while also adding to our neighborhood patrols and crime prevention and task force activities," McKay wrote. "I recognize that this adds an additional 7-hour bi-weekly mandatory overtime to our officers, and it is never easy to increase the time spent away from home even when it is compensated, but this temporary measure will allow leadership the time to build a staffing model that will effectively meet the needs of our officers and our community."

McKay said the county will explore ways to support officers during the changes to shifts.

Some county supervisors believe more can be done to address the police staffing shortage.

Springfield District Supervisor Pat Herrity told WJLA the police department's staffing challenges presents public safety concerns and that the Board of Supervisors needs to start addressing the issue.

"To ensure minimal patrol coverage, officers have had their shifts extended and mandatory overtime added. This will likely lead to additional officers leaving," Herrity tweeted.

As the Board of Supervisors considers allocating carryover funds from the last fiscal year, Herrity said he will propose an amendment to address the police staffing challenges.

Dranesville District Supervisor John Foust also told WJLA the pay issue may not have been fully resolved in the county's latest budget.

McKay said in his newsletter the fiscal year 2023 budget provided an additional pay step increase and longevity pay for uniformed officers, which raised pay by nearly an 8 percent average.

"These increases are critical to retention efforts and keeping us competitive with neighboring jurisdictions, including the federal government," McKay wrote. "The latest budget continues to invest in additional resources to assist our officers and recruiting efforts."

According to McKay's newsletter, the budget also provided support for recruitment and retention, including signing bonuses, expedited application processing and a program for those transitioning from the military.

A police spokesperson said the staffing model is temporary to continue service as recruiters hire job candidates. The police department is conducting a multi-media recruiting campaign and has an increased focus on lateral officer transfers from other law enforcement agencies. As part of its recruitment efforts, the police department is still working on a goal to increase women in police recruit classes to 30 percent by 2030.

When considering a return to its full staffing model, police will take an internal look at retention in addition to recruitment.