(Updated July 1, 2024)
Our Police Department encourages faith leaders to request a security survey for their houses of worship. These surveys, which have been offered for years, assess a house of worship’s security level to verify its current level, modify policies if needed and offer ways to improve security.
“The rich cultural, religious, racial and ethnic diversity that is Fairfax County is one of our greatest strengths and assets,” Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeffrey McKay said. “Our residents can experience and immerse themselves in cultures from around the world without having to leave the county. However, we know that there are people who do not share our values of inclusion, or view diversity as some sort of threat, and we wholeheartedly reject that notion as community.”
There hasn’t been an increase in bias related crimes in the county, but there’s a rising trend of bias-related crimes across the country, so the Police Department wants to be proactive and continue efforts to keep the community safe.
HOW TO REQUEST A SECURITY SURVEY
Security Surveys are performed for houses of worship that request them, and follow-up surveys need to be requested as well. To request a survey, reach out to the Crime Prevention Officer or Community Outreach Officer at the district station the facility is located in.
• Sully District Station
• Mount Vernon District Station
• McLean District Station
• Mason District Station
• Reston District Station
• Franconia District Station
• West Springfield District Station
• Fair Oaks District Station
Most surveys only take a couple hours, but it’s dependent on the size of the property. It’s preferred that the facility is open during the survey so the entire property can be accessed.
These security surveys align with the Countywide Strategic Plan’s Safety and Security outcome area, helping to create spaces where all people feel safe at home, school, work and in the community.
GRANT FUND OPPORTUNITIES
The Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) has grant funds to assist organizations in combatting hate crimes. DCJS is soliciting applications to make competitive grants to local governments that have established partnerships with eligible non-profit 501(c)3 institutions and organizations that have been targets or are at risk of being targets of hate crimes.
The goal of this program is to minimize bias-motivated incidents by providing funding that supports institutions and nonprofit organizations within a locality that may be at risk for targeted, bias-motivated violence based on race, religious conviction, color, gender, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, or national origin.
This grant announcement is open to local governments within the Commonwealth that have established partnerships with non-profit organizations or institutions within their jurisdiction. All applications must be submitted by the local government. One application per locality may be submitted, but the application may include multiple partnerships with separate nonprofits, organizations, or institutions.
Applicants for this competitive solicitation may be awarded grants for a twelve (12) month period, from January 1, 2025 – December 31, 2025.
For this round of grants, we anticipate many organizations seeking to partner with us. If you would like to partner with FCPD, please register no later than July 9 by filling out this form:https://forms.office.com/g/dytfPnhLX9
FCPD will host an informational virtual meeting on July 9 at 11:30 a.m.
FCPD staff will discuss each partner's needs at this meeting. All parties must sign a memorandum of understanding as part of the application. The maximum award amount will be $150,000, divided among community members/partners. However, FCPD will manage the funding.
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