Crime in Fairfax County Rises Despite Claims It’s the Safest Jurisdiction of Its Size
Crime in Fairfax County is on the rise, despite claims from Fairfax Commonwealth Attorney Steve Descano that Fairfax is the safest county of its size in the United States.
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“That is a politically expedient and totally inaccurate statement, because Fairfax County is still safe, but it is less safe of late, and they need to do something about it,” Sean Kennedy, president of Virginians for Safe Communities, told the local ABC7 affiliate. “They’re putting up with Steve Descano’s antics and allowing him to continue to revictimize victims and make our communities less safe.”
Descano testified before Congress last week to discuss his office’s policies regarding illegal immigrants in his jurisdiction. As commonwealth attorney, Descano has faced immense criticism for violent illegal immigrants running rampant in the county, specifically Abdul Jalloh, who allegedly stabbed Stephanie Minter to death at a Virginia bus stop in February. Jalloh, an illegal immigrant from Sierra Leone, previously had been charged at least 40 times for various violent crimes, and Descano’s office has dropped more than half of the charges.
According to the Major Cities Chiefs Association, robberies, rapes, murders, and aggravated assaults have increased significantly, specifically since Descano took office six years ago. The MCCA does not rank jurisdictions based on safety but rather tracks the specifics of violent crime data across the United States.
“The same people are going free because there’s no accountability. In fact, the number of repeat offenders has only skyrocketed. All you have to do is look at Abdul Jalloh’s case. He has been accused of multiple stabbings, attempted murders, malicious woundings,” Kennedy said. “And after the first one, he got away with it. The second one, he got a slap on the wrist. The third one, he got away with it. The fourth one, he got away with it, and the police said, ‘Keep him behind bars.’ And once again, Steve Descano cut him loose.”
Descano, however, defended his policies in his testimony on Capitol Hill, saying the county’s “Trust Policy” is crucial to convicting criminals. In Fairfax, the policy allows illegal aliens to use city services or come forward to report crimes without fear of deportation. Historically, the policy largely did not allow for local police to notify Immigration and Customs Enforcement if they detained an illegal immigrant.
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But one in five people in Fairfax are illegal themselves or live with someone who could be deported, Cato Institute’s David Bier said during the House hearing. While Descano claimed he does not give preferential treatment to offenders based on their immigration status, his campaign website previously included a policy promising that his “office will take immigration consequences into account when making prosecuting decisions.”
The policy was removed from the website after Descano was asked to testify, and when House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R., Ohio) asked Descano why the policy was removed, Descano said people are “obtuse” if they do not understand the difference between a campaign statement and office policy.
Kennedy of Virginians for Safe Communities also noted that Fairfax, which is mostly suburban, is being compared to larger, more urban cities with different demographics.
“Comparing any of those jurisdictions to Fairfax County is ridiculous and certainly misleading, because Dallas County, as well as Philadelphia, all about the same size as Fairfax, are significantly more urban, have a lot of issues,” Kennedy said. “It is the equivalent of comparing Japan to Egypt. They are the same size. They are completely different beasts. The idea that you would compare a very exurban and suburban area to a very urban area, and in crime terms, is ridiculous.”
Descano’s office did not immediately respond to National Review‘s request for comment.
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