FCPD Daily News Blog : Detectives Investigating Potential Bias Crime In Groveton

Press release from the FCPD Daily News Blog:

August 10, 2021

This morning, officers from our Mount Vernon Police District responded to a report of a potential bias crime in the 3400 block of Clayborne Avenue in Groveton.  A homeowner alerted officers to a patch of grass that appeared to be burnt in the shape of a cross in a backyard. Preliminarily, detectives believe this may have occurred in the last fifteen days. The Fairfax County Fire Marshall’s Office is assisting in this investigation.   

As a County, any form of hate is unwelcome. As a police department, our goal is to ensure we document any Bias Crime or Bias Incident, conduct a thorough investigation, and provide the necessary support and resources available to all impacted. 

For awareness, a Bias Crime or Incident, per FCPD G.O. 520.7 Bias Crime Policy, is defined as:

Bias Crime: Also known as Hate Crime.  Any unlawful action committed against a person because of race, religious conviction, ethnic/national origin, disability, and/or sexual orientation.  The Code of Virginia does not specifically define a bias crime or hate crime as a violation of law, but does provide enhanced penalties for assault and battery (§ 18.2-57) and vandalism (as defined by § 18.2-121) when the acts are committed against a person based upon their race, religious conviction, color or national origin.

Bias Incident: Involves behaviors that, though motivated by bias against a victim’s race, religious conviction, ethnic/national origin, disability, and/or sexual orientation, are not criminal acts (i.e., distribution of unsolicited hate literature hostile or hateful speech or other disrespectful/discriminatory behavior may be motivated by bias but is not a criminal violation of criminal law) but may be classified as a violation of civil statutes.  They become criminal acts only when they directly incite perpetrators to commit violence against persons or the destruction of property.

You can find more information at the FCPD Bias Crime link: 

https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/police/chief/crimeandsafety/crimepreventionawareness/biascrime

You can find information from the FBI on Hate Crimes at the following link:

https://www.fbi.gov/services/cjis/ucr/hate-crime.

If you are the victim or witness of a Bias Crime or Incident in Fairfax County, please contact the FCPD at 911 (for in progress) or our non-emergency number at 703-691-2131. Anyone with information about this crime or who may have noticed anything suspicious is asked to please call our Mount Vernon Police station at 703-360-8400. Tips can also be submitted anonymously through Crime Solvers by phone – 1-866-411-TIPS (866-411-8477), by text – Type “FCCS” plus tip to 847411, and by web – Click HERE. Download our Mobile tip411 App “Fairfax Co Crime Solvers”. Anonymous tipsters are eligible for cash rewards of $100 to $1,000 dollars if their information leads to an arrest.

This press release was produced by the FCPD Daily News Blog. The views expressed here are the author’s own.