It was 1989, and Sergeant Gene Davis was working the midnight shift in the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center. He had an idea for a new agency patch and began sketching it. At the time, all Virginia sheriffs’ offices were using the same design with the exception of the locality name. Gene thought the patch should be more representative of Fairfax County, so his sketch incorporated the Fairfax County Seal inside the star.

He left the incomplete sketch on his desk while he attended to his supervisory duties. When he returned to his desk shortly before the shift change, he was met by Sheriff M. Wayne Huggins, who was holding the sketch. Gene explained to him that he thought a change to the current patch was overdue. He told the Sheriff, "I am proud to be part of the Fairfax County Sheriff’s Office and think that our uniform should reflect that." At the end of the conversation, Sheriff Huggins asked if he could borrow the sketch. Gene agreed but informed Sheriff Huggins that he was not yet finished with the design.

Several weeks later, Sheriff Huggins tossed Gene a patch patterned after his sketched design. Gene reiterated to Sheriff Huggins that the design was not finished, to which Sheriff Huggins replied, "I like it the way it is, and we are going with it. Congratulations on designing a new patch for the agency. You can keep the first one as a memento."

Over the next few years, Gene’s new patch slowly replaced the old version. Thirty years later, Gene fondly recalled that "it was just an idea that I was working with, and I had no thoughts about what I would do with it or where it would end up. I really didn’t think the Sheriff would entertain the change."

Gene noted the changes he would have made if given the opportunity. "The points of the star would have been an exact replica of the points on the badge, with the decorative design running down the sides and a ball at each of the points. I never intended for the lines running through each of the five points of the star to remain on the patch. They were just part of a measured schematic to make the star proportionate. If you imagine these changes, you will see that the banner with the writing would have to be made smaller and repositioned to make all the design elements fit."

Gene acknowledges that he was disappointed for a long while at not being able to complete the design. “If you ask anybody that knows me, they will tell you that I am a perfectionist. Every time I look at that patch, in the back of my mind is the thought that it is an unfinished work. I see the unfinished parts as imperfections.” Gene now views the patch as a symbol that stands on its own merits. "I am proud that this patch is a symbol of the Sheriff’s Office and worn by every member."