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Message From the Commander |
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Dear Franconia Community,
March brings the start of Spring and better weather for outside activities. It also brings the start of Daylight Saving Time and an added hour of early morning darkness for the trip to school or work. Please be especially alert for pedestrians and bicycles while everyone adjusts to the change.
Six months ago, Franconia Station began recognizing an Officer of the Month (in addition to the Officer of the Quarter award made by the CAC). Taken as a whole, the citations for these monthly awards provide a series of glimpses into the teamwork, inter-agency coordination, and dedication that Franconia officers display - not just in solving crimes but also in addressing activities that affect quality of life in the community such as unruly car meets and unlicensed bars. The February Officers of the Month award for Franconia District (in this newsletter) was for teamwork in solving a vehicle theft case. It was selected by Chief of Police Davis for special recognition Department-wide. You can see the Chief’s video here and, for those who may have missed some of the monthly write-ups, there is a compilation of them here. I encourage you to take a look and see why we are so proud of the work done by our Franconia officers.
As always, stay safe.
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Sincerely,
James
James Krause, Captain
Commander, Franconia District Station
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Comments?
Let us know what you think of the Community Report. Are there things you would like to see, not see, or see differently? Tell us about it.
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- Dealing with fraudulently altered bank checks.
- The high level of catalytic converter thefts continues.
- Educating student drivers on traffic stops.
- Crime reports and statistics.
- March traffic focus on pedestrians, bicycles and commercial vehicles.
- Officers of the Month - tracking down juvenile auto theft suspects.
- Crossing Guard Appreciation Day.
- Community Advisory Committee.
- Links to FCPD Data, Recruiting and Social Media Sites.
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Fraudulent passing of altered bank checks is a growing problem in Fairfax and nationwide. Stolen checks are changed either by writing over the original information or they are erased and re-written through a process known as 'check washing'. The process starts with the theft of a check, often from USPS mailboxes or the mail stream. The check is 'washed' in chemicals that remove the "Pay To" and "Amount" fields and the 'washed' check is then written to a new payee for an amount which can be thousands of dollars. The alteration may not be discovered until the original writer notices it in their bank statement.
Here's how to protect yourself.
Writing and Mailing:
- Use high security checks with features that protect against check altering.
- Use fraud prevention pens with gel ink that is resistant to 'washing'.
- Keep a clear record of the checks you have written so that you can detect alterations and provide evidence to support your claim.
- If you use the mail, deposit checks inside the Post Office, or put them in USPS boxes close to scheduled pickup time. Avoid leaving them in boxes overnight.
Follow up:
In many cases, the bank will restore the fraudulent check amount to your account, but the incident must be reported promptly. Still, even if your money is restored you will likely need to close the compromised account and go through the process of transferring to a new one.
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Catalytic Converter Theft Continues |
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Franconia District and the rest of Fairfax County continue to experience a large number of catalytic converter thefts. Click HERE for a copy of the January and February Community Report items about the problem. |
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Crime Prevention Office Events |
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Mock Traffic Stops
Officers from Franconia Station and other FCPD Stations partnered with Lee District Supervisor Rodney Lusk's office and Fairfax County Public Schools to pilot a mock traffic stop program for students in driver education class. The pilot kicked off at Hayfield Secondary School and provided students a practical exercise on what to expect should they be stopped by police while driving.
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For more information about events or for other crime prevention information and assistance, contact the Franconia District Station Crime Prevention Office:
Community Outreach and Liaison Officer
PFC Cindy Osegueda [cindy.osegueda@fairfaxcounty.gov ] 703-922-0889
Crime Prevention Officer
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Click below to visit the Fairfax County Police Department's
Crime Prevention & Awareness page.
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SHOOTING - ARREST: 6315 Amherst Avenue (Paper Moon), 2/23/22, 2:34 a.m. A group of men got into an argument with an unarmed security guard and were removed from the business. As the group was leaving, two of the men forced their way back inside and each displayed a firearm. The two men walked back outside; started shooting the front of the business; and left in a white sedan. No injuries were reported at the business. A 22-year-old man, from Fredericksburg, was located at a nearby hospital with non-life-threatening injuries related to the shooting. He was arrested and charged with burglary, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and brandishing. He is held at the Adult Detention Center without bond. Additional charges are pending, and detectives are continuing to investigate to identify the others involved.
ROBBERY: 6500 block of Springfield Mall, 2/21/22, 3:30 p.m. The victim was approached by a group of juveniles while in line at a store. One of the juveniles took his property and walked away. The victim followed the group and approached them when a verbal dispute took place. The group of juveniles assaulted the victim, took his property and left. The victim reported minor injuries.
ROBBERY: 6200 block of Franconia Road, 2/18/22, 5:04 p.m. The victim’s car was struck by another vehicle in the parking lot. Both occupants of the other vehicle and the victim were out of their vehicles talking. The victim began taking photographs of the crash when the other driver assaulted him, and his passenger took his property. Both men left in a red Dodge Durango. No injuries reported.
COMMERCIAL ROBBERY: 6589 Springfield Mall (Target), 2/14/22, 3:50 p.m. A man entered the business, implied a weapon, and took property. The man left the area on a bicycle. No injuries were reported.
STOLEN AUTO RECOVERY - ARREST: 6500 Springfield Mall, 2/13/22, 12:58 p.m. An officer saw a 2021 Dodge Ram ProMaster that was reported stolen from an out-of-state jurisdiction. The officer stopped the Dodge and the sole occupant of the vehicle, a 24-year-old man from Maryland, was arrested and charged with grand larceny, false identification to law enforcement, and prevent a law enforcement officer from making an arrest.
ROBBERY: 5500 block of Vincent Gate Terrance, 2/12/22, 7:34 p.m. The victim agreed to meet a man at the location to buy property. Afterwards, the victim realized the property was fake and confronted the man. The man produced a knife and tried to assault the victim. No injuries were reported.
STOLEN AUTO RECOVERY - ARREST: 6700 block of Loisdale Road, 2/10/22, 4:25 p.m. The victim saw a woman hitchhiking and picked her up in his 2021 Honda CRV. The victim stopped at a store, exited his car with the vehicle running. The 34-year-old woman got into the driver seat and drove away. An officer saw the stolen CRV nearby and made a traffic stop, arresting the woman. She was charged with grand larceny and driving without a license.
ROBBERY: 7000 block of Skyles Way, 2/7/22, 10:40 p.m. Three men approached the victim on the sidewalk, assaulted him, took his property and ran away.
STOLEN VEHICLE/ CREDIT CARD FRAUD - ARREST: 9000 block of Mooregate Court, 2/3/22, 7:30 a.m. The victim called police after noticing their 2017 Toyota RAV4 and 2016 Toyota Corolla were stolen from in front of their home. One of the vehicles had the victim’s credit card inside which was used shortly after the theft. Officers found the stolen vehicles in a parking lot and took four juveniles into custody. Charges are pending for the juveniles.
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The report contains selected crimes. This report is not a comprehensive list of every police event in the district in the month. Information contained in the Info Sheet is generally based on initial reports made to the police department. Follow-up investigations may reveal different or additional information.
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Bias Crimes and Incidents - Franconia District |
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THREATS – IN WRITING (Anti Homosexual) Wednesday – 02/11/2022
6400 block of Franconia Rd. - Harassing and threatening messages along with a photo were sent to a student via Instagram. Investigation revealed that another student was responsible for sending the messages.
For more detail on Virginia and Fairfax County Bias Crime law click HERE
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REMINDER:
Please be vigilant & report any suspicious activity in your neighborhood
Anyone with information pertaining to these cases is asked to contact Crime Solvers by one of the methods below. If the information provided results in an arrest and indictment, apprehension of a fugitive or the recovery of stolen property or seizure of illegal drugs, a cash reward ranging between $100 to $1000 is paid to the tipster.
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By Phone -1-866-411-TIPS ( 866-411-8477);
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By Text - Send a text message to 847411, then type the keyword "FCCS" add a space, type your tip info and hit send;
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By web - Click HERE; or,
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Download our Mobile tip411 App "Fairfax Co Crime Solvers."
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Calls for Service and Crime Statistics
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Total Calls for Service FCPD-wide increased 10.6% in January - February 2022 over the same period in 2021 - i.e., from 51,849 calls to 57,339 calls.
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Click HERE to see which types of call are included in each category.
For information on how these statistics are compiled click HERE .
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In February, Group A Events (more serious crimes) increased by 7% for Franconia District compared to the same period the previous year. There were significant increases in the number of events related to motor vehicle thefts and other larcenies/thefts.
Decreases in event totals were seen in Patrol Service Areas 610 and 640 with increases in PSAs 600, 620 and 630 (see the map below for PSA boundaries).
The FCPD department-wide change was a 6% decrease.
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Group A offenses are more serious offenses as designated by the National Incident Based Reporting System (NIBRS). For a full description of Groups A and B click HERE.
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For additional crime statistics and information please click below.
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Franconia Police District News |
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Traffic Safety Initiatives |
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Each month the Franconia District Station Traffic Enforcement Officer selects sections of the traffic code for special enforcement emphasis. The selection is based on county-wide focus areas, seasonal variables, public safety concerns, and other factors. For the month of March, the areas below have been selected. Brief interpretations of key points of the code are listed. Click on the section heading to read the full text of the code.
- Pedestrians shall cross, wherever possible, only at intersections or marked crosswalks. Where intersections have no marked crosswalks, pedestrians may cross by the most direct route.
- Drivers shall yield the right-of-way to crossing pedestrians by stopping and remaining stopped until pedestrians have passed the lane in which the vehicle is stopped. No pedestrian shall enter or cross an intersection in disregard of approaching traffic.
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Where "Walk"/"Don't Walk" signals are in place, they shall be observed as follows: "Walk" - Pedestrians may proceed across in the direction of the signal and shall be given the right-of-way by drivers. "Don't Walk" - Pedestrians shall not start to cross but pedestrians who entered on a "Walk" signal shall proceed to a sidewalk or safety island and remain there for the next "Walk" signal.
- Pedestrians shall not use the roadways for travel, except when necessary to do so because of the absence of sidewalks. Pedestrians shall keep to the extreme left side or, where the shoulders are of sufficient width, they may walk on either shoulder.
- Every person riding a bicycle, electric personal assistive mobility device, electric power-assisted bicycle, moped, motorized skateboard or scooter, or animal or driving an animal on a highway shall be subject to Bicycle Laws except where otherwise indicated.
- A driver of a vehicle overtaking a conveyance subject to Bicycle Laws shall pass at a reasonable speed at least three feet to the left of the overtaken conveyance and shall not again proceed to the right side of the highway until safely clear.
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A person under the age of fifteen shall wear an approved protective helmet while riding or being carried on a conveyance subject to Bicycle Laws on any highway, sidewalk, or public bicycle path.
- Commercial vehicles are: those with a gross weight of more than 13 tons; vehicles towing trailers of five tons or more where the combined weight is more than 13 tons; any vehicle carrying 16 or more passengers; or any vehicle carrying hazardous materials.
- The driver of a commercial vehicles must have a CDL driver's license. CDL licenses may be revoked if the holder is convicted of certain traffic violations.
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Four Officers are cited for their outstanding work in
a stolen auto investigation.
At 0730 hours on Thursday, February 3, 2022, Franconia Daywork Units responded to the 900 block of Mooregate Court in Lorton to investigate a report of a stolen 2017 Toyota RAV4. Responding officers quickly determined that, in addition to the RAV4, the victim’s 2016 Toyota Corolla had been stolen. It was discovered that the Corolla was left unlocked and idling while warming up. The keys to the RAV4 were left inside of the Corolla.
The victim’s son noted that one of the neighbors had a Ring doorbell. Officer Dan Maier was able to establish contact with the neighbor, review the Ring doorbell video, and develop a potential juvenile suspect.
The victim’s wallet had been stolen during the vehicle thefts and officers learned that a bank card from it had been used at a 7-Eleven store in Alexandria. Officer Maier visited the store with the hope of evaluating camera coverage and was able to obtain additional footage of the original suspect.
Officer Maier and PFC Maria Stecco then contacted MPO Maurice Grace, the assigned Hayfield High School SRO. Through collaborative efforts, Officer Maier, PFC Stecco, and PFC Grace were able to establish the identity of the suspect who is a student at the school and determine that the student suspect was present in school at that time.
Major Crimes Bureau (MCB) was contacted for initial consultation and, soon thereafter, an investigative plan was established. MCB responded to Hayfield High School to coordinate and further collaborate with patrol. While MCB was enroute to the location, MPO John Parker located both stolen vehicles parked behind a nearby church. A coordinated surveillance of the vehicles and the church parking lot was established. At school dismissal time, the primary suspect and three other juvenile suspects were apprehended as they entered the vehicles.
All four juvenile suspects were transported to the Franconia District Station for investigative interviews. At the conclusion of the interviews three of the juveniles were released to the custody of their legal guardians. The primary juvenile suspect was transported to the Juvenile Detention Center where petitions were immediately sought. Petition applications for the other involved juveniles were planned for the following week.
For their work, we are proud to honor MPO John Parker, MPO Maurice Grace, PFC Maria Stecco, and OFC Dan Maier as Franconia’s Officers of the Month.
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Crossing Guard Appreciation Day |
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February 9th was Crossing Guard Appreciation Day. For the occasion, Community Liaison Officer Cindy Osegueda put together a video to recognize Franconia District Station school Crossing Guards for their important service protecting school kids in all kinds of weather.
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Franconia
Community Advisory Committee (CAC)
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CAC Meeting Schedule
CAC meetings are normally held at 7 PM on the 3rd Wednesday of the month. Meeting participation details are distributed by email. Contact CAC Coordinator Kim Barber mailto:kim.barber@fairfaxcounty.gov if you would like to be placed on the CAC notification list.
Next Meeting: Wednesday, March 16th, 2022 at 7 PM via Zoom
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New Opportunity for Trained Officers
FCPD is adding a new opportunity for experienced police officers. Officers from other departments may apply for a lateral transfer to FCPD. Transferring officers will be hired at the rank of Police Officer First Class (PO II). They must meet FCPD standard hiring criteria as well as the following:
- Current DCJS certification
- Minimum of three years of law enforcement experience at the POII rank or its equivalent
The starting salary range for applicants who meet the criteria will be $57,236.82-$73,050.22. Click HERE to see this and other FCPD job opportunities.
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Find your purpose and contribute to the community
with FCPD.
Click on the image.
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Police Data and Reform Website
Click on the image.
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Keep in Touch with FCPD
Information and alerts from the Police Department are available
on our web pages and on many social media platforms.
Click on the button below for a list of links.
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