Countywide Strategic Plan Launches Safety & Security Dashboard

The Safety & Security dashboard is the fifth dashboard now published to support the implementation of the Fairfax Countywide Strategic Plan. There will be a dashboard for each of the 10 Community Outcome Areas. 

About the Dashboard

The Safety & Security dashboard presents information under the following topic areas referred to as indicators:

1. Effective and Equitable Administration of Justice
2. Safety-Related Prevention and Preparedness
3. Timeliness and Quality of Emergency Response
4. Following Laws and Regulations

These indicators contain eight headline metrics related to diversions from arrest, Fairfax alert subscribers, youth who feel safe in their community, positive interactions with police, crimes against persons and property, number of persons arrested and 9-1-1 call processing time for high priority requests.

The dashboard is designed to:

• inform residents and stakeholders, 
• monitor progress over time, 
• identify any demographic or geographic disparities among residents, and
• guide community leaders, practitioners, and advocates in making data-driven decisions. 

Overall, the metrics included in the dashboard help to evaluate the goals of reducing reliance on incarceration when appropriate, expanding prevention and preparedness programs, providing timely emergency services, and strengthening the relationship between public safety and residents so that all members of the community can feel safe and protected. 
 

Data Highlights

• Diversions from Arrests Have Increased
  Diversion First is a continuum of services, which offers alternatives to incarceration for people with mental illness, co-occurring substance use disorders and/or developmental disabilities, who come into contact with the criminal justice system for low-level offences. Since the launch of Diversion First in 2016, more than 3,800 diversions from arrest have occurred, with the number of diverted cases on the rise. In 2023, 598 diversions took place, a 59% increase from 2016 when only 375 cases were diverted.
• Number of Fairfax Alert Subscribers Steadily Increased
  As of 2023, there were a total of 98,944 Fairfax Alerts subscribers, an increase of 54,948 subscribers since the program began in 2015. A total of 18 emergency alerts were sent in 2023, including 10 missing persons and 8 shelter in place notifications.
• Most Young and Older Residents in Fairfax County Said They Felt Safe in their Community
  In 2023, over 92% of 8th, 10th, and 12th grade students in Fairfax County reported feeling safe in their neighborhood or around the area where they live. In a 2022 survey of adults over 50 years old, 85% of respondents rated their overall feelings of safety in the community as good or excellent. The rates for both young and older residents were higher compared to pre-pandemic rates.
• Rate of Crimes Against Persons Increased, While Rate of Crimes Against Property Fluctuated 
  The rate of crimes against persons (per 100,000 residents) increased in Fairfax County by 24% from 2017 to 2023. The rate of crimes against property (per 100,000 residents) dropped by 9% between 2017 and 2021, then increased by 24% between 2021 and 2023. The rate of crimes against persons and property were both lower in Fairfax compared to Virginia from 2017 to 2023.

For More Information

The Safety & Security dashboard will be updated yearly to continue to determine trends and monitor progress.  All published dashboards may be accessed through the Countywide Data Analytics webpage. Learn about all ten Community Outcome Areas on the Fairfax Countywide Strategic Plan webpage. For instructions on how to navigate and use the dashboards, please visit the Strategic Plan Dashboard Tutorial. For questions about the dashboard, contact Countywide Data Analytics at DMBDataAnalytics@fairfaxcounty.gov.