Law Enforcement Addresses Residents Concerns in Sterling

Loudoun County Sheriff’s office put out a news release on September 23rd highlighting a decrease in crime in response to questions about crimes increasing at a community meeting.

Residents gathered at Park View High School on September 22nd to ask the LCSO questions and share concerns regarding public safety after recent incidents in the Sterling, Virginia area, according to a release by LCSO.

When residents shared concern about crime on the rise, LCSO shared statistics that showed a 9 percent decrease in crime from 2011-2014 in Eastern Loudoun Station, according to statistics reported in the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (MWCOG) Annual Report on Crime and Crime Control.

Statistics also showed serious crime such as homicide, aggravated assault, rape, robbery, burglary, auto theft, and larceny also dropped by 15 percent between 2014 and 2015.

The LCSO also reported that the number of gang related calls decreased: In 2011, Loudoun Sheriff’s Deputies responded to 59 calls for services that were possibly gang-related while it responded to a total of 12 calls in 2014.

In 2014, the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office saw the lowest crime rate reported by any of the 22 regional law enforcement agencies from Maryland, Virginia and Washington, DC who partner with MWCOG.

“The rate of serious crimes saw 8.307 crimes per 1000 residents in Loudoun and is a 17% decrease in crime since 2012,” the press release stated.

Loudoun County Sheriff Mike Chapman also discussed recent efforts to counter crime activity in Loudoun County, which included the expansion of agency’s counter-gang, and counter-drug capabilities, which increased manpower, and improved relationships with our local and federal counterparts, the release stated.

Residents inquired about the need for increased presence of law enforcement in the community to address quality of life issues, such as suspected gang activity, loitering and other suspicious activity.

LCSO will follow-up on the residents’ comments and continue to introduce proactive measures and community outreach programs, such as increased enforcement and educational campaigns, to further address the issues, stated Chapman.

The LCSO informed residents of two other upcoming meetings.

On October 1st, LCSO and the Loudoun County Gang Resistance Intervention Team will hold a seminar for parents on Gang Awareness and Prevention at 6:30 pm. The same session in Spanish will on October 6th at 6:30 pm.

The LCSO Eastern Loudoun Station will hold their quarterly meeting at 7 pm on October 21st at 46620 East Frederick Drive in Sterling, VA.

Residents are encouraged to report all suspicious activity to the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office by calling 703-777-1021.