Police Accountability Office
On July 1, 2026, the Board of Supervisors consolidated the Office of the Police Civilian Review Panel with the Office of the Independent Police Auditor to create the Police Accountability Office (PAO). The roles and responsibilities of the Police Civilian Review Panel and Independent Police Auditor remained unchanged under the new structure.
The mission of the PAO is to strengthen trust between the residents of Fairfax County, the Board of Supervisors, and the Fairfax County Police Department (FCPD) and enhance police legitimacy by providing civilian oversight of the FCPD. The PAO provides an accessible intake venue for complaints against the FCPD and increases transparency and trust in the FCPD’s complaint response and investigative process.
Police Accountability Office Divisions
The PAO is comprised of two divisions: the Police Civilian Review Panel and the Independent Police Auditor. Complaints are routed to the appropriate division for processing depending on the allegations.
- The Panel addresses complaints that allege serious misconduct or abuse of authority by FCPD officers.
- The Auditor addresses complaints that allege force by FCPD officers, uses of force resulting in death or serious injury, and in-custody deaths.
- Both are independent of the FCPD and report to the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors.
Police Civilian Review Panel
The Panel is a nine-member volunteer oversight body that accepts complaints and conducts reviews of completed FCPD investigations into allegations of abuse of authority or serious misconduct by FCPD officers. The Panel conducts its reviews during public meetings and completes a written report of each review which is made available to the public.
Independent Police Auditor
The Auditor is an independent oversight official who monitors and reviews FCPD investigations into officer-involved shootings, uses of force subject of a public complaint or which result in death or serious injury, and deaths while in-custody of the FCPD. The Auditor issues incident reports, which are made available to the public.