Arlington County PD Adjusting Services Due To Smaller Workforce

ARLINGTON, VA — A significant decline in staffing is forcing the Arlington County Police Department to make changes to the way it delivers services to the community.

Currently, the department is authorized 376 sworn police officers. As of Tuesday, the department had 290 certified and functional police officers, Police Chief Andy Penn said.

What's behind the decline in staffing? Penn attributes the reduction to attrition, retirements and officers seeking other opportunities.

As a result of fewer employees, the chief said it is necessary to implement service adjustments to prioritize the department's workload in alignment with the department’s key initiatives of Crime Prevention and Control, Community Engagement, Transportation Safety and Employee Wellness and Safety.

“Arlington remains a safe place to live, work and visit and the incredibly dedicated and professional men and women of the Arlington County Police Department work each and every day to make a positive difference in the lives of those we serve,” Penn said in a news release. “I am confident that despite our service adjustments, we will continue to work in partnership with the community and remain proactive in ensuring public safety.”

Key Service Impacts

According to Penn, officers will continue responding to in-progress crimes and emergency calls for service where there is a threat to life, health or property.

It is anticipated the community will notice service impacts in the following areas:

• Late reports of applicable non-emergency criminal activity will be reported using the online reporting system or telephone reporting (703-228-4300) in lieu of an in-person officer response. This is a change first initiated during the pandemic and will continue to ensure the best use of available resources. All submissions to the online reporting system are reviewed by an officer and once approved, an Arlington County Police Department official report number will be issued.
• Prioritized investigative follow-up on crimes against people and serious property crimes.
• Reduced investigative follow-up on some property crimes, particularly when the incident lacks solvability factors. Examples of reduced investigative follow-up include:
• • Reports of scams when no identifiable suspect exists. ACPD will continue to conduct educational campaigns around common scams and share financial crime prevention information.
  • Late reports of hit and run crashes with no solvability factors.

Despite these adjustments, Penn said his department will remain committed to:

• Maintaining operational readiness and preparedness to respond to any public safety incident that occurs in Arlington
• Ensuring the orderly flow of traffic in the County while conducting transportation safety enforcement and education campaigns
• Engaging and building partnerships with those we serve
• Proactively recruiting qualified candidates to join upcoming academy classes with the ultimate goal of returning the department to full staffing as soon as possible.

For additional information and resources on the police department’s service changes and reallocation of resources, please visit the department's website.

Engage with ACPD

ACPD said it remains committed to effectively communicating to ensure the public’s trust. Members of the department's Command Staff and Engagement Division are available should residents have additional questions or if they would like to host a small group discussion. The public is also encouraged to visit our engage page for a variety of resources available to stay informed about police activity, engagement events, road closures and safety campaigns.