2023 Candidate Profile: Stacey Kincaid For Fairfax County Sheriff

FAIRFAX COUNTY, VA — Stacey Ann Kincaid, who was first elected as sheriff of Fairfax County in 2013, is running for re-election in the Nov. 7 general election.

Kincaid, a 36-year veteran of the Fairfax County Sheriff’s Office, was the first woman elected to lead the Fairfax County Sheriff’s Office in its 280-year history. A graduate of Langley High School in McLean, Kincaid started as a sheriff’s deputy right after graduating from college.

She is a 2009 graduate of Leadership Fairfax, a 10-month program focused on community issues and designed to build a diverse pool of skilled leaders in the public and private sectors. In 2017, she was selected to be on the Leadership Fairfax Board of Directors.

"As Sheriff, one of her top priorities is to change the way our criminal justice and behavioral health systems interact, resulting in better outcomes for individuals and our community," Kincaid's campaign website says.

The sheriff's office serves the residents of Fairfax County, Fairfax City and the towns of Herndon and Vienna.

The general election ballot in Fairfax County will also include countywide races for Board of Supervisors chairman, at-large members for Fairfax County School Board, Fairfax County Commonwealth's Attorney, Fairfax County Clerk of Court, and Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District.

Early voting for the general election began on Friday, Sept. 22. More information on how to vote is available from the Fairfax County Office of Elections.

Patch asked the candidates running for Fairfax County sheriff to fill out a candidate questionnaire with the same questions. Here are Kincaid's responses:

Name

Stacey Ann Kincaid

Party affiliation

Democrat

Family

Greg Kincaid, husband, Virginia State Police Captain

Education

Bachelor of Science, Political Science/Criminal Justice

Occupation

Sheriff, Fairfax County Sheriff’s Office, 36 years

Campaign website

https://www.staceykincaid.com

Why are you seeking re-election?

I care about the people I serve and the work that I do. I have dedicated the majority of my life to public service, and it’s an honor to serve as Sheriff to the residents of Fairfax County, the City of Fairfax and the Towns of Herndon and Vienna. Although we have accomplished a lot together since I was first elected in 2013, I am seeking re-election because I have much more to give and more lives to change for the better.

The single most pressing issue facing Fairfax County is ____, and this is what I intend to do about it.

The opioid epidemic.

I plan to expand upon the programs that I have already implemented in the Adult Detention Center to address opioid use disorder so that people leaving incarceration are presented with an opportunity for sustained health and recovery instead of an increased likelihood of overdosing. I have a peer-led addiction recovery program in the Adult Detention Center called Striving to Achieve Recovery (STAR), as well as a nationally recognized and modeled Medication for Addiction Treatment program. These programs, along with our robust reentry services, do not just treat the symptoms of addiction short-term but also foster lifelong recovery.

How do you think local officials performed in responding to recent issues (i.e. the pandemic)? What if anything would you have done differently?

Public service is a human endeavor which comes with human error. That means there is never a 100% success rate. With a population of over 1.2 million people, there will always be strong opinions regarding how we perform and respond to issues. The key to decision-making is to ensure that our community and local officials are well-informed and guided by pure intentions that focus on the best outcome for the communities we serve. I am confident that our local officials have followed these principles when responding to adversity, whether it was the pandemic, police reform, the economy, or otherwise. One thing that I hope can be done differently by all elected officials is for the discourse surrounding these decisions to be less polarized and political so that our communities can trust our decisions are being made in their best interests and not the best interest of politicians.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

My experience, relationships across the local, state, and federal levels, respect for the position, and professionalism are unmatched by my opponents.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform:

I am proud of my work in diversion that ensures individuals with mental illness/substance use disorder and developmental disabilities who find themselves involved with the criminal justice system are able to be diverted from incarceration to treatment.

My rehabilitation, education and reentry programs have become models for best practices and provide lifelong skills as well as life-changing opportunities for individuals while reducing their chances of recidivism once they are released from jail.

These efforts will not only continue to be a focus of my administration, but they will also continue to be successful.

Finally, I am very proud of the diversity of my agency’s workforce. I will continue to ensure that we have a diverse workforce that truly reflects the diverse community we serve inside of our facilities and outside in the community.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

I am fiscally responsible in managing our $74 million annual budget and returning funds to the county after each budget cycle. The voters of Fairfax County, the City of Fairfax and the Towns of Herndon and Vienna have continued to support and reelect me overwhelmingly. I have ensured that my staff are increasingly diverse to reflect the people we serve both in the community and inside our facilities.

I have developed and maintained excellent working relationships with stakeholders, non-profit organizations, judges and other elected officials. I helped spearhead Diversion First, which offers alternatives to incarceration for people experiencing mental health crises, and work closely with the court’s specialty dockets to ensure that people get the behavioral health care they need rather than be caught up with no hope in the criminal justice system.

I have developed and implemented programs to give incarcerated men and women many opportunities to improve themselves, including high school and GED classes, life skills programs, job training, physical and behavioral health care, and medication for addiction treatment. By giving them the resources they need, they are better prepared to re-enter the community in a safe and healthy manner from which we all benefit.

I have many accomplishments since being elected Sheriff and I credit my staff with our success. I am proud to work alongside the men and women of the Fairfax County Sheriff’s office and their professionalism, compassion and dedication make us the best Sheriff’s Office in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

Was from my mom, who often told me I could be whatever I wanted to be. That and her advice to always be true to myself.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

This is a position of public service, and I am honored to serve as their Sheriff. There is a tremendous amount of responsibility that comes with being a public servant and I take my job very seriously. I am a trailblazer who has worked incredibly hard to become Sheriff and one of my greatest joys is being a role model for our children. I am the person who has always looked out for those who are less fortunate and are in need. I believe in 2nd, 3rd and 4th chances and focus on making our community better each day. Becoming Sheriff in 2013 was not the end of the road for me, rather, it was simply the beginning of my journey to continue doing whatever it takes to make our community a better place to live, work, raise a family, etc.