Second Lieutenant George Shammas was recently promoted to First Lieutenant and is awaiting his new assignment in line with his higher rank.
Lt. Shammas was born and raised in Fairfax County, attended Lake Braddock Secondary School and still lives in the county. He graduated from George Mason University, majoring in administration of justice.
While in college, he sought to examine the deterrent effects of the death penalty on the crime rate. Shammas obtained an internship with the Fairfax County Sheriff’s Office to pursue his college research proposal. He sat in on cases involving a potential death sentence. He also interviewed inmates, judges and deputies. He learned through the internship that there was a lack of research and evidence to document a relationship between the death penalty and the crime rate.
Following the internship, Shammas applied to numerous law enforcement agencies, and the Sheriff’s Office was the first to offer him a job based on the positive experience with him.
During his 14 years as a deputy sheriff, Shammas has enjoyed the people with whom he works and has learned that not all inmates are bad people. “In my daily encounters with inmates, I take the time to listen to them, to give them an opportunity to share what they are going through. Sometimes all a person is asking for is for someone to listen. Many are dealing with substance abuse. Our STAR program [Striving to Achieve Recovery] is an example that a path to recovery is possible and can be accomplished.”
He feels fortunate to have successfully tried out for and been accepted onto the Sheriff’s Emergency Response Team (SERT) only six months after graduating from the Criminal Justice Academy and now serves as the Assistant Commander. “It’s a brotherhood and sisterhood,” he says. “I’m proud to serve as a Field Training Instructor for deputies trying out for SERT. They get up and work out with me at 3 a.m. and give it their all. I relish fostering individuals in their careers, both in the performance of the agency’s core functions and as new members of SERT.”
He also takes pride as a team leader on the Sheriff’s Office Peer Support Team. “It shows the type of leadership we have in Sheriff Kincaid and her lieutenant colonels. They created the team and believe in it. Who better to help our employees than their peers who know them best?”
Shammas’ message to men and women thinking about applying with the Sheriff’s Office is heartfelt. “If you are interested, that’s the first step. It’s a seed in your mind that’s being planted. Once you are hired, go all in and grow that seed. And remember, this is not only a job, it's a career.”
Shammas says he is a product of being mentored by “the greatest deputies this agency has ever had. I take advantage of every resource the Sheriff’s Office offers. Opportunities are there for everybody.”
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