Chief Fard Emphasizes Technology, Stability in 2025 Police Report

Background

Since joining the Police Department in 2024, Chief Shahram Fard has presented a report annually to the City Council. The 2025 Police Report was presented at the City Council meeting, July 13, 2026. Earlier reports are summarized in Pulse posts here.

The Police Department includes the fire marshal but does not include the Sheriff’s department. The Sheriff is an elected official, and the current Sheriff, Matt Cay, described the responsibilities of that department in his election statement last fall. [Read the Pulse post Meet the City’s Sheriff, Commission of Revenue, and Treasurer – All Seeking Reelection and Unopposed, October 3, 2025.]

Modernizing the Police Department

The budgets of the last few years have provided the Police Department with the resources needed to upgrade their systems and equipment. Chief Fard reported that the department has completed implementation of new portable radios, mobile computer systems, body-worn cameras (BWC), and in-car camera systems (ICC). The police now have upgraded audio and video recording systems to support their crime-fighting efforts and traffic safety operations.

“Previously, a shortage of units and the necessity of sharing hardware forced officers to wait for equipment to become available, often causing unnecessary delays in service delivery. Furthermore, personnel frequently contended with inconsistent models and incompatible vehicle mounts. By standardizing our technology with Panasonic Toughbook FZ-55 laptops and uniform docking systems across the entire patrol fleet, we have eliminated these logistical bottlenecks. Every sworn officer now has reliable, real-time access to the data required for field communication and electronic reporting, ensuring they can respond to calls without delay,” he said.

“Supported by a five-year funding commitment from the City Council that includes ongoing technological upgrades, the Department successfully deployed Axon Fleet 3 systems in all cruisers and Axon Body 4 units to every sworn officer and Public Safety Aides.”

By replacing aging and inconsistent equipment with a unified platform, the department has streamlined evidence management and procured unlimited cloud storage. The new systems resolve previous challenges with data retention and operational costs, Chief Fard said, ensuring digital evidence infrastructure remains robust and support processes are compliant with best practice, a necessary component as the department seeks accreditation.

City has 38 sworn officers, staffing size stable

The department today has 38 sworn officers and about 59 full-time equivalent employees in total. The upgrades in technology and stable incidences of crime in the City have enabled staffing to remain at the same level over the last three years even as the population in the City has grown from 15,000 in 2024  to more than 17,000. The police force has three detectives who carried out 250 complex investigations in 2025.

Low crime rates even as the City continues to grow

The number of incidences of criminal offenses in the City is relatively stable compared to previous years even as the City’s population has grown. Chief Fard reports that the City continues to be free of serious, violent crime. The 2025 police report provides summaries of offenses recorded. Offenses are divided into categories: Group A for serious offenses and Group B for minor offenses including loitering, disorderly conduct, and driving under the influence.

There were 468 incidents that generated 505 Group A offenses. Chief Fard added that there were six burglaries, the lowest in many years. He noted the increase in shoplifting offenses; “75% of them were from very few convenience stores, grocery stores and liquor stores.” The police are working with the affected proprietors to address the issue.

The tables below show the breakdown of the Group A offenses.

The increase in pornography/obscene materials is addressed in the 2025 police report: “The Police Department is responsible for investigating reports of suspected child exploitation received from the public or electronic service providers submitted to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children’s CyberTipline. Although each report is counted as a Group A offense, many of these cases are ultimately classified as unfounded or unsubstantiated following the investigation. The 2025 rise in offenses reflects our commitment to thoroughly vetting every report to ensure the safety of the community, rather than an increase in criminal activity itself.”

Traffic safety and enforcement

The City experienced a higher number of reportable crashes in 2025. Chief Fard reminded the public to do their part to improve traffic safety saying, “We all need to fight the urge [to look] at our phones when we’re walking or biking or driving.”

Chief Fard said that the City’s Vision Zero strategy has helped to address this issue, and he has seen a significant decline in 2026. [Read Pulse post, Falls Church City to Adopt Vision Zero Strategy to Eliminate Traffic Fatalities, October 28, 2025.] Vision Zero subscribes to the philosophy that traffic safety issues are best addressed through engineering design, enforcement, and education. Chief Fard said the police meet with Public Works and Planning Departments each month to discuss traffic safety issues, coordinating enforcement strategies with minor and major road modifications.

One result of the Vision Zero study is that the problem intersection at Annandale Road and Gundry Drive will soon get a roundabout. Residents of Winter Hill have been asking the City for traffic calming measures.

Red-light cameras will be relocated to the Washington Street and Broad Street intersection and the Broad Street and Roosevelt Street intersection where there are high number of crashes. The City has only four cameras.

Officers have increased patrols on the W&OD Trail where there have been pedestrian and bicycle injuries at trail crossings and electric motorbikes are not allowed. The e-motorbikes are often ridden by children, executing wheelies and racing their friends.

Building trust through community engagement and department accreditation

Chief Fard recognizes the importance of community engagement to develop relationships. He said, “Our authority comes directly from the consent, the trust, and the cooperation of our community. The trust and consent is assured when the community is assured that the department is abiding by the law and nationally accepted best policing practices. That assurance…often occurs through accreditation.”

The City Police Department lost its accreditation in early 2023. Chief Fard said that the department is now on track for an independent assessment for accreditation by the end of 2027 or early 2028. The accreditation process requires that the department follows the latest best practices for handling complaints, tracking and investigating use of force occurrences, and providing employees with a defined adjudication process and mechanism for appeals, among many other internal processes.

The Community Police Academy

In 2025, Chief Fard started the Community Policing Academy, an 8-week program for residents and people who work in Falls Church City to explore every facet of local law enforcement—from patrol and criminal investigations and use of force to crime scene analysis, internal affairs, and special operations. Graduates will have opportunities to assist the police in community events and outreach initiatives.

The second session will run from September 23 to November 18, 2026. The academy is currently accepting applications. More information is available at the Police Community Support webpage.

City Council discussion

Vice Mayor Laura Downs asked about the funding impact of special City events on the department. Chief Fard said events that arise after the budget is approved can present a funding issue, but his greater concern is the availability of his 38 sworn officers. These events are staffed as overtime work. He asked that the police be involved early in event planning discussions.

Council Member Erin Flynn expressed concern about the increase in “forcible sex” offenses from 0 in 2024 to 12 in 2025. Chief Fard assured the public that these were not crimes committed by strangers but incidences where the perpetrators were known to the victims.

Council Member Arthur Agin was interested in traffic data on near misses. Chief Fard agreed that would be useful information, but the police do not currently have it. He is working with Virginia Tech to see if these data can be obtained. (The Virginia Tech Transportation Institute has been collaborating with the City on its Smart City Program that has deployed sensors to collect traffic data in Falls Church.)

Council Member Marybeth Connelly asked about the substations at Eden Center and West Falls. Chief Fard said the substation at Eden Center is operational and has led to a reduction of illegal activity there. The department is still working on getting furniture and equipment installed for the substation at West Falls and hopes to have that station operational by the end of the year.

Council Member David Snyder inquired about the effectiveness of the speed cameras at St James Catholic School. When it was introduced in September 2024, 4,171 citations were issued. There were 8,525 citations for 2025. Mr. Snyder said it would be important to provide that information to Richmond as the City pushes the state to allow more photo-enforcement devices.