Focus Area 6 in the One Fairfax policy is directly related to the IPA’s work as it specifies that public safety services, such as the police, should be “responsive to all residents so everyone feels safe to live, work, learn, and play in any neighborhood of Fairfax County.”

The IPA builds trust between the community and the Fairfax County Police Department (FCPD) by monitoring and reviewing internal FCPD investigations into officer involved shootings, in-custody deaths, and use of force incidents that result in death or serious injury.  The IPA also monitors and reviews FCPD investigations into other use of force incidents when a complaint is made. Through its review, the IPA provides an independent assessment of the FCPD’s investigation to determine whether the investigation is accurate, complete, thorough, objective, and impartial.  The IPA can assure the complainant and the public that the FCPD’s investigation into the complaint was conducted properly, or it can request that the FCPD conduct additional investigation.  The IPA can also propose recommendations to FCPD policy, training, and procedure.  As an oversight entity for the FCPD, the IPA helps to build the community’s trust and confidence in the FCPD, thereby promoting the One Fairfax policy as encompassed by Focus Area 6.

The IPA is a public office that serves as an independent intake venue for complaints against FCPD officers.  The IPA provides a safe and welcoming environment for individuals to submit complaints who may otherwise feel uncomfortable submitting a complaint directly to the FCPD.  The IPA informs the community about its role in oversight through public presentations and by distributing informational brochures throughout the community.  The brochures provide information about the IPA and the complaint process, and they include a complaint form.  The brochures are available in English, Spanish, Korean, and Vietnamese to allow members of the community, regardless of native language, the ability to understand the IPA’s role in oversight of the FCPD.  The IPA publishes public reports for each incident reviewed to inform the community about the incident, the results of the FCPD’s investigation, and the IPA’s finding as to whether the investigation was conducted in a complete, thorough, accurate, impartial, and objective manner.  Prior to the establishment of the IPA, the community did not have access to this type of information.

The IPA holds the FCPD accountable by assessing whether investigations into use of force, in-custody deaths, and officer involved shootings are accurate, complete, thorough, objective, and impartial.  If the IPA finds that an FCPD investigation does not meet these standards, it can recommend additional investigation into the matter.  Upon completing a review of an FCPD investigation, the IPA issues a public report and makes public recommendations regarding FCPD policy, training, and practices.  The IPA tracks the FCPD’s response to recommendations and publishes this information on the IPA website to keep the community informed about FCPD implementation.

The IPA regularly interacts with complainants and the community. The IPA engages with individuals who submit public complaints so that they understand each step of the complaint process and the status of their complaint.  The IPA meets with the Fairfax community to inform them of its mission and service through outreach events with community groups, faith-based organizations, civic associations, and other stakeholder groups. To request an outreach meeting for your organization in order to learn more about the Independent Police Auditor and civilian oversight in Fairfax County, please email IPAPoliceAuditor@fairfaxcounty.gov.

In addition to publishing public reports detailing the findings from individual incident reviews, the IPA also reviews use of force data and summarizes the situational factors present in force incidents broken down by race.  These public reports provide the community with more detailed analysis of use of force incidents—specifically as to the race of the individuals involved in use of force incidents-- than was previously available.  In May 2019, the Board of Supervisors directed the IPA to conduct a search for and to select a research partner to conduct a comprehensive study of use of force data to identify potential reasons and causes for the disparity in the number of use of force incidents by subject race.  The IPA selected the University of Texas San Antonio (UTSA) to complete the study.  The results of the study and accompanying recommendations will be presented to the Board of Supervisors in 2021.  These efforts exemplify the OIPA’s commitment to the One Fairfax Policy as they help the public to identify and better understand racial disparities in use of force incidents.  The results and recommendations from these data reviews provide further insight into the causes of racial disparities and promote equitable planning and decision-making related to policing in Fairfax County.