Fairfax County Police Department

CONTACT INFORMATION: 24/7 Emergency Response; Office and Program Hours Vary
703-691-2131 TTY 711 (Non-Emergency)
12099 Government Center Parkway
Fairfax, VA 22035
Kevin Davis
Chief of Police

Department Resources

Virginia Freedom of Information Act

Notice

The information on this page applies only to requests for records specific to the Fairfax County Police Department (FCPD). For information on submitting a Virginia Freedom of Information Act (VFOIA) request to other Fairfax County agencies, please visit the Fairfax County Public Affairs' VFOIA webpage.

The Virginia Freedom of Information Act (VFOIA), under Chapter 37 of Title 2.2 of the Code of Virginia, ensures the people of the Commonwealth ready access to public records in the custody of a public body or its officers and employees, and free entry to meetings of public bodies wherein the business of the people is being conducted. The act also provides access to representatives of the print media with circulation in the Commonwealth and representatives of radio and television stations broadcasting in or into the Commonwealth.

Suggestions for Submitting a VFOIA Request

Be specific

To help facilitate the process, VFOIA requests should be as specific and detailed as reasonably possible, clearly identifying the particular records you are seeking.

Include identifying details

Please include your full name and legal address as the requester, whom you represent (if you are an attorney or insurance company), any relevant case number (if known), and any additional details that could assist in locating the requested records, including incident date, incident location, officer name (if known), and any other relevant information.

Expect possible follow-up

A FCPD FOIA Analyst or FCPD Police representative may reach out to you for clarification regarding your request. This is solely to ensure we fully understand what you are seeking so that we can respond accurately and efficiently.

How Do I Submit a VFOIA Request?

VFOIA requests for the Police Department can be submitted through any of the channels below. The online form is the preferred method.

Online (Preferred)

The fastest way to file a VFOIA request with the Police Department is through the online form.

Email

Send your request to FCPDFOIA@fairfaxcounty.gov. An attachment or letterhead is preferred.

Mail or in person

Fairfax County Police Department, FOIA Compliance Division, 12099 Government Center Parkway, Fairfax, VA 22035

Phone

Call the FOIA Compliance Division at 703-246-4561.

Fax

Fax the FOIA Compliance Division at 703-246-4253.

Commonly Used Exemptions

The Code of Virginia allows any public body to withhold or redact certain records from public disclosure. FCPD commonly withholds or redacts records subject to the following exemptions:

§ 2.2-3706 (D)Withholding portions of noncriminal incident or other noncriminal investigative reports or materials that contain identifying information of a personal, medical, or financial nature where the release of such information would jeopardize the safety or privacy of any person.
§ 2.2-3706.1 (E)(1)Ongoing criminal investigation.
§ 2.2-3706.1 (E)(2)Active adjudication status.
§ 2.2-3706.1 (D)Non-ongoing criminal investigations involving a victim/victims.
§ 2.2-3705.1(1)Personnel records.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

As required by Code of Virginia 2.2-3704, you must provide your name and your legal address. The law also requires the requestor to identify the requested records with reasonable specificity. FCPD is not required to create a new record in response to any VFOIA request.

FCPD charges an administrative fee of $40.6039 per hour, for research, redaction, quality review, and production of records. The hourly rate is based on the lowest salary in the FCPD FOIA Compliance Division.

  • A public body may make reasonable charges not to exceed its actual cost incurred in accessing, duplicating, supplying, or searching for the requested records and shall make all reasonable efforts to supply the requested records at the lowest possible cost.
  • No public body shall impose any extraneous, intermediary, or surplus fees or expenses to recoup the general costs associated with creating or maintaining records or transacting the general business of the public body.
  • Any duplicating fee charged by a public body shall not exceed the actual cost of duplication.
  • Prior to conducting a search for records, the public body shall notify the requester in writing that the public body may make reasonable charges not to exceed its actual cost incurred in accessing, duplicating, supplying, or searching for requested records and inquire of the requester whether he would like to request a cost estimate in advance of the supplying of the requested records as set forth in subsection F of § 2.2-3704 of the Code of Virginia.
  • If it is determined in advance that the cost of any request will exceed $200, FCPD can require a deposit.
  • FCPD will require payment of any outstanding prior charges for the requestor before any future request is honored.

If you would like a cost estimate before we begin processing your request, please inform us promptly. If we do not receive a timely response for a cost estimate, we will proceed with processing, and you may be responsible for any resulting charges.

  • You have the right to request to inspect or receive copies of public records, or both.
  • You have the right to request that any charges for the requested records be estimated in advance. As of July 1, 2022, public bodies must notify the requester in writing that the public body may make reasonable charges not to exceed its actual cost incurred in accessing, duplicating, supplying, or searching for requested records and inquire of the requester whether he would like to request a cost estimate in advance of the supplying of the requested records.

Under the Code of Virginia, the FCPD has five business days to respond to your request with one of the following:

  • Provide all requested records/documents in full.
  • Deny your request if VFOIA does not apply, the record does not exist or is not held by FCPD, or if an exemption or other state law prohibits disclosure.
  • Provide some records/documents while withholding others for the reasons listed above.
  • Inform you in writing that the requested records cannot be found or do not exist. However, if we know that another public body has the requested records, we must include contact information for the other public body in our response to you.
  • Issue a notice extending the response time by seven additional business days, for a total of 12 business days or, in the case of a request for criminal investigative files pursuant to § 2.2-3706.1, 60 work days

FCPD maintains many kinds of records, such as incident reports, arrest reports, and videos from body worn cameras, in car cruiser cameras, and cruiser dash cameras. Virginia law determines what records we can release in response to a VFOIA request.

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