Vienna Connection

    Director Reasa Currier
  

In 2016, Fairfax County reclassified its personnel who enforce animal laws to “Animal Protection Police Officers.” In recent months, county officials have proposed elimination of that police position, in favor of using civilian animal shelter employees in the enforcement role. Under the proposal, the title Animal Control Officer would return to use. The reorganization would move management of the unit from the police department to the animal sheltering department. 

Animal Control Officers would have the power to continue to enforce State laws for companion animals under Code Chapter 65, and related animal ordinances. However, as civilians, they would be without the full powers of law enforcement police officers. The change is sought by the county’s animal sheltering and police departments; and is opposed by the employee union newly representing Fairfax County’s police officers, the Southern States Police Benevolent Association (SSPBA).

The county clarifies that no current Animal Protection Police Officers would be without a job. Instead, if approved, incumbents could be offered a move to another police unit, or may accept an Animal Control Officer position, without loss of salary. 

Conformity with Neighboring Jurisdictions

Animal shelter director Reasa Currier says the change would “bring Fairfax County into conformity with neighboring jurisdictions,” who organize sheltering service and animal control under the same management. 

Why is this approach better? 

“Having a consolidated approach to animal care and control and having both functions under one leadership optimizes resources and also allows an agency to expand service delivery,” said Currier. “There’s the connection with the shelter services when you’re working on one mission; to make sure that our residents are connected with all of the services of the shelter.” Currier worked under the consolidated model while at the Humane Rescue Alliance in Washington D.C., before coming to Fairfax County.

Fairfax County now separates the management of the two units. While the two units work together in the same buildings, they report to separate department heads. Both departments report to the Deputy County Executive Tom Arnold.

While jurisdictions across the Commonwealth and the country take various approaches to providing animal services, Currier believes “our industry is moving in this direction [consolidation]. So we want to make sure that we’re adapting with the times.” 

Still in the proposal stage at this writing, it’s not clear what new programs might be available at low or no cost, or from mobile units. Currier indicates “we are looking at programs and services that are offered by our neighboring jurisdictions through their Animal Control Officers.” She points to one area where Alexandria outperforms Fairfax County. Alexandria animal control officers are able to return 47 percent of stray animals to their owners in the field, without the need to take the animal to the shelter, compared to Fairfax's 30 percent field return rate. She estimates that the 17 percent difference equates to a $30,000 savings in shelter stay costs for strays until claimed by their owners. Alexandria equips their ACO vehicles with microchip scanners while FC APPO vehicles are not now so equipped. 

Union Sees Police Role in Diversion efforts

The county stakeholders all seem to agree that pets, pet owners, and the community benefit by the availability, and resident knowledge of, certain county animal care and welfare services. The shelter’s wish, to take needed low cost services to owners who may not be able to get to the shelters, to low-income pet owner’s communities; means more animals would receive needed care. However, county management and the police union disagree on the best means to provide those services. 

SSPBA argues that APPOs are trained in the field of animal care and welfare, as well as animal laws, and on diversion first programs; for example, related to mental illness or addiction. And that they are able to deliver shelter developed programs. Vice-President of the local union, Siobhan Chase, explains that APPOs now engage in community policing initiatives and events which helps build partnerships between law enforcement and citizen communities. She sees an opportunity for the shelter and police departments to work together, in a manner similar to how the Police Department now works with the Community Services Board and the Public School system. Chase has worked in the county’s shelter operations and is now an APPO.

Future Focus: Enforcement or Humane Service?

At the time the Animal Protection Police unit was established in 2016, the Police Department then explained, “The public may not notice a big change, as the uniforms, badges, patches and vehicles will look the same, with the exception of the words “Animal Protection” replacing “Animal Control” on their badges. But for the officers, the expanded role facilitates their ability to investigate and prosecute for animal neglect and abuse cases and better serve Fairfax County residents. We look forward to welcoming our more highly specialized Animal Protection Police Officers and providing a higher level of service to our community.”

The parties disagree on whether changing back to Animal Control Officers would be a minor change to citizen service. The 2015 legislative change, which drove the 2016 police unit creation, limited the powers of quasi police positions known as ‘Conservators of the Peace’. The police union says that now, as civilians, the proposed ACOs would not attend police academy training, carry firearms, respond using lights or sirens, execute criminal and search warrants, or obtain orders under the “Red Flag” law or emergency protective orders. Those duties are exclusively permitted to trained and sworn law enforcement officers. Deputy chief of police operations Bob Blakely counters that changing times allow the unit’s operating model to change to one using “predictive service options”. He says the unit’s organizational focus should “change from enforcement to proactive humane services.” 

Blakely says while Animal Protection Police Officers “responded to over 17,000 calls for service in 2022 for ill, injured, or stray animals, only three cases required search warrants, two felony arrests, and there were zero custodial arrests.” 

He suggests the data indicates sworn officers may not be needed, or when needed, a sworn officer would accompany them, as is the case now.

Will Residents Have Input?

There are questions from residents about the proposal. Why eliminate Animal Protection Police Officers? What about the loss of experience? What about execution of search warrants and seizures in cruelty cases? Who responds to wildlife calls? Why haven’t taxpaying residents been given the opportunity to comment?” 

Helen Allen, of Reston, writing to the Connection Editor, commented, “To date, there has been no information made available to the public as to who will replace APP and what services they will provide. The public has had no input nor have the APP officers.” (See Reston Connection, Sept 27-Oct 3, pg 9). Allen appreciates the police for their role in helping her rescued dogs.

A community member who ran afoul of the law, still has high praise for having police involvement in animal cases. Sharing that she has a mental illness, Amy E, said years ago she found she couldn’t manage her three cats. She praises the officer who came to her house, “with an attitude of support; ‘not you’re a terrible pet mom’.” After a few years of missing her cats, she got mice, a guinea pig, and bird, but admits she wasn’t caring well for them. When she called the police for help, she was charged with animal cruelty and later convicted, given one year probation and restricted from owning pets for two years. Still she praises the police, saying, “I could have been jailed, but they took me to a hospital and then I had medical improvement.” She shared, “Police are better in dealing with the mentally ill. Police don’t want to lock all up and throw away the key. I needed the help.” She admits she also needed the ‘wake up call’ the arrest and conviction provided. “The time I couldn’t own animals was the most miserable time in my life. I never again want to lose my right to own animals.” Amy now has two cats, for whom she says she would “go to the ends of the earth”.

Will the Proposal Save Money?

For many other residents concerned about county tax increases, controlling the costs of county services, including animal services, is a priority. Approval of the proposal could come down to economics. While county spokespeople have not claimed any expected position reductions, they do point to significant savings in the difference in salary, benefits, and training costs between the two position categories. Starting salary for a police officer in the county is $65,747; currently with a addition of a $15,000 signing bonus. Blakely estimates that the six months of police academy training costs about $100,000 per officer, plus the cost of three months of field training. The FY 2023 County Advertised Budget included about $4.5 million for 39 positions for the Animal Protection Police unit. It is expected that under the proposal the police unit’s positions and equipment assets would transfer to Sheltering, as needed. Animal Control Officers typically earn lower salaries than police officers; averaging from $53,357 to $67,120 across the Commonwealth. D.C.’s Humane Rescue Alliance is currently advertising its ACO position at $22 per hour. The State mandated training for ACO’s is two weeks. Budget for the Department of Animal Sheltering included about $3.2 million for 36 positions in the FY-22 Advertised Budget. The Shelter’s draft organization, which has not yet been reviewed and approved, contains new specialized positions, for example for behavioral and training specialists, with approximately 101 full-time positions, including the wildlife unit, also transferring under the plan.

County representatives first discussed the proposal with the Animal Services Advisory Commission at their regular meeting on November 9. The union is expected to speak to the Commission at its Dec. 7 meeting. SSPBA representatives president Steven Monahan and vice-president Siobhan Chase spoke to the Board of Supervisors during the public comment period on Dec. 5. 

Shelter Director Currier indicates the county is still analyzing costs in preparation for presenting the proposal to the Board of Supervisors Safety and Security Committee, scheduled on Jan. 30.