ASK THE TIMES: Falls Church City Police Procedures

The July encounter between Cambridge Police Sergeant Crowley and Harvard Professor Gates on Ware Street in the shadow of the Cambridge Public Library has passed from the headlines but not from our readers’ thoughts.  For citizens who walk the straight-and-narrow and have the good fortune of avoiding entanglements in other people’s woes, encounters with any form of law enforcement whatsoever tend to be infrequent and fleeting.  TSA officers at the airport, a Memorial Day DUI checkpoint, or traffic control when the stoplights fail at the corner of Broad and Washington might summarize several years’ interaction.

Hypotheticals, however – the “what-if’s” that are the hallmark of inquisitive minds and active imaginations – can build into a much longer list of potential encounters with law enforcement.  For those who have pictured themselves in Professor Gates’ shoes or any number of other situations, we have the following answers to your questions.  Thanks to Barbara Gordon in the City’s Office of Communication for coordinating these answers through Chief Reitze’s office at the Falls Church City Police Department.

What are the policies and training for Falls Church Police when handling breaking and entering calls?

The Falls Church City Police policies and training for burglaries involving residential and business establishments are as follows:

There are usually three ways an officer will be called to a burglary:  a call from a witness (like in Cambridge), an alarm to a business and/or residence, or when an officer finds a burglary in progress.  It is important to note that the first two ways are usually the reasons for which our officers respond to a burglary call.

In all cases, the officer approaches the residence and/or business very carefully to observe the activities and details about the incidents.  The officers are looking for modes of transportation to and from the scene, noting all vehicles in and around the residence or business.  They are checking for points of entry or exit into or out of the establishment such as broken glass, windows or doors.  They are looking for the number of suspects in the establishment or in the area.  They often radio all information to Police Communications so responding back-up officers will be aware of fleeing suspects.  The officers approach the establishment after sufficient back-up has arrived and try to tactically approach suspect(s) to confront them in an area where they are least likely to escape or do harm to the officers.  Most communications on these scenes is through the police radio to and from the dispatcher and among the officers.

If Police respond to a house and encounter someone unknown to them, how do they respond?

If the officers encounter someone in the establishment of a possible burglary, they will watch the subject for a period of time.  The officers are watching to see if the suspect is acting in a manner that is consistent for an owner versus a suspect.  After sufficient back-up is on scene and the situation dictates, the officer will confront the subject and give them verbal commands to stop and identify themselves.  Depending on the subject’s reactions, the scenario can go a number of different places.  If the suspect is cooperative, the officer will try to obtain photo identification to verify subject’s presence on the scene.

Are the Falls Church Police equipped with video cameras for recording vehicle activity and Police-Citizen interaction when the police stop a vehicle for a traffic violation?

The Falls Church City Police are equipped with in-car camera capabilities. (But not in all of the cruisers)  The cameras are activated when the officer dictates or when the officer turns on the lights and siren of the police cruiser.  The video capabilities are somewhat limited to the direction of the cruiser.  The capabilities of taping conversations are limited by the microphone in control of the officer.  The officers utilize these cameras in assisting with the capture, detection and adding to the testimony of traffic infractions and other crime scenes.

Are there provisions for video recording other police observations and Police-Citizen interactions?

There are always opportunities throughout the community for video recording.  The police often will turn to the community for assistance in capturing business or personal videos to assist in investigations.

The Falls Church Times is happy to research and report on selected readers’ questions.  Thank you for your interest and support.