Fairfax County Sheriff's Office

Infobox Police Department
name = Fairfax County Sheriff's Department

established = 1742
jurisdiction = County
sworn = 600
non-sworn =
stations =
sheriff = Stan BarryThe Fairfax County Sheriff's Office (FCSO) serves a population of over 1,000,000 residents in Northern Virginia, a suburb of Washington, D.C. It is the largest Sheriff's Office in Virginia with nearly 600 deputies. The Sheriff and his deputies are fully sworn law enforcement officers with full arrest powers with in Fairfax County. The Sheriff's office assists the Fairfax County Police Department and other law enforcement agencies to maintain peace and order in Fairfax County.

History

The Sheriff's Office was formed in 1742 when Fairfax County was created from Prince William County, Virginia. There have been 70 elected Sheriffs in Fairfax County, the current Sheriff is Stan Barry. Sheriff Barry was first elected in 1999. The Sheriff is a position that was established under the Virginia Constitution, the citizens elect the Sheriff every four years.

The FCSO responsibilities have changed immensely since its inception. The FCSO was the primary law enforcement agency in the County until 1940. This is the year Sheriff Kirby persuaded the Board of Supervisors to implement a County Police Department. Fairfax County was rapidly changing from a rural area to a sprawling suburb of Washington D.C. Sheriff Kirby was overwhelmed with running the county jail, providing court security, serving civil process and patrol. In 1940 the County Police were tasked with daily criminal police duties.

Overview

The FCSO is a paramilitary organization with a rank structure.

*Sheriff
*Lt. Colonel
*Major
*Captain
*1st Lieutenant
*2nd Lieutenant
*Sergeant
*Master Deputy Sheriff (MDS)
*Private First Class (PFC)
*Private

Training begins at the Fairfax County Criminal Justice Academy in Chantilly, Virginia. The FCSO attends the academy with the Fairfax County, Vienna and Herndon Police Departments.

ee also

* List of law enforcement agencies in Virginia
* Fairfax County, Virginia

References

* [http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/sheriff/ Fairfax County website]

External links

* [http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/sheriff/ Fairfax County Sheriff's Office website]
* [http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov Fairfax County, Virginia]