its out money, not the cops money

Fairfax County police have spent $1.3 million on weapons and protective gear, $561,000 on buildings and improvements and $208,000 on electronic surveillance gear. The department declined to share details about the spending.

The Justice Department audited Fairfax’s spending in 2009 and 2010 and found the department had complied with the guidelines at that time.

“Our financial stewardship of our Seized Account Funds is in compliance with all Federal rules and laws, State rules and laws, County rules and laws, and we undergo audits of these accounts by local and federal agencies,” Col. Edwin C. Roessler Jr., the Fairfax police chief, said in a statement. “Additionally, we are subjected to internal audit processes to review all requests for expenditures to ensure purchases are pre-approved for compliance.”

John Geer Killing—An End to Impunity?

Independent Progressive

By John Lovaas/Reston Impact Producer/Host

             

#In August 2013, a Fairfax County Police Officer shot and killed unarmed John Geer as he stood in his doorway talking to police. There were many civilian witnesses, including family, to the SWAT team killing. Yet, 14 months later, the shooter has not been identified and there has been no explanation for the killing by either the police, the Board of Supervisors which oversees them, the Commonwealth Attorney, or the U.S. Justice Department to which this case was referred for investigation. In Fairfax County, it has been routine in the 74 years since the Board of Supervisors created the Police Department for officers to kill citizens without apparent justification and not be held accountable to anyone but themselves for doing so. The Geer case is only the most recent example.

#John Geer’s family, some of whom were eyewitnesses to the shooting, has been remarkably patient, waiting 14 months so far for completion of the official investigation and explanation as to how and why it was the unarmed, non-threatening Mr. Geer was shot to death. Finally, their patience ran out. They have filed suit against the police and the county demanding justice — a full explanation, accountability for those responsible, and $12 million for their incredible loss.

#No county officer has ever been charged with wrongdoing for killings in the line of duty. Nor has any killing been investigated by anyone except fellow officers. The police and county have been sued by families of the dead, but to date Fairfax County has opted to pay seven-figure settlements with our tax dollars rather than go to trial or lift the iron veil of secrecy.

#And, the Board of Supervisors, to whom the police nominally report, has inexplicably failed to hold them accountable.

#I do, however, see signs for hope the Geer case may be different. Why should I, a known pessimist, think there is a chance to break the perfect record of non-accountability to the people who pay the police to protect them? Here are some possible reasons.

•           #Police employed a heavily armed SWAT team arrayed like a firing squad for this domestic dispute raising the question of excessive force;

•           #Unlike many police killings, there were many civilian witnesses to this one;

•           #Police left the badly wounded man to die;

•           #The Commonwealth Attorney, usually a rubber stamp for the police, declared an unspecified “conflict of interest” and referred investigation of the shooting and shooter to the Justice Department which has to date remained silent;

•           #The Board of Supervisors suddenly has shown an interest in this case. Chairman Bulova sent a letter to the U.S. Attorney expressing concern about the delay; and,

•           #The Geer family, which is suing county police, says they will not settle for cash, and wants a trial to force police to explain fully the circumstances.

#Of course, the police and some who advise the Board of Supervisors will resist genuine accountability to the people of Fairfax County. So, it will be an uphill struggle. But, at least two supervisors (one Democrat and one Republican) are acknowledging they favor new approaches, such as the creation of an independent civilian review board.

#Seventy-five percent of U.S. jurisdictions the size of Fairfax County already have them and they generally work well, renewing community confidence in their police and finding very few officers abusing their lethal power once there is oversight.

#Seventy-four years without accountability for using lethal force is more than long enough. Think about it. It is hard to believe that any officer drawing his or her gun is not aware that there is no penalty for miscalculation and unjustified use of it. That is a very scary proposition. But how can it be otherwise after 74 years?

Fairfax should force police to come clean over shooting of unarmed John Geer

By Robert McCartney Columnist

Here’s what has happened in Ferguson, Mo., in the two months since a police officer shot and killed Michael Brown, an unarmed man:

■The officer who pulled the trigger was identified and his record made public.

Robert McCartney’s column on local issues appears Thursdays and Sundays in The Post’s Metro section. View Archive

■The president expressed his condolences, and the U.S. attorney general paid a visit.

■Protesters staged repeated mass demonstrations.

Here’s what has happened in Fairfax County in the nearly 14 months since a police officer shot and killed John Geer, also unarmed, while he stood with arms raised in the doorway of his Springfield townhouse:

■The officer’s name has not been released, despite abundant signs that the shooting was a mistake.

■The County Board of Supervisors wrote a gently worded letter to the U.S. attorney last month expressing concern about the unusually long delay in investigating the incident.

■A meeting of a local activist group unhappy about Geer’s case drew all of six participants Tuesday evening at the Martha Washington Library in Fairfax’s Alexandria neighborhood.

“All those people are bonding together in Ferguson, [but] it’s very difficult to get people to do anything in Fairfax,” said Mary Tracy, a member of the Virginia Citizens Coalition for Police Accountability.

The differences between the two shootings are critical, of course. Ferguson has long suffered from racial tensions between police and the community. The killing there of a black teenager by a white police officer rekindled grievances dating back generations.

By contrast, the Fairfax public shows more confidence in the police, despite several past shooting controversies there. In addition, since Geer was white, the case doesn’t arouse the same racial concerns.

Still, Fairfax mustn’t let county police off the hook just because it’s politically convenient. The Geer case should prompt both the public and elected officials to force the department to come clean about what happened.

So far, the opposite has occurred. Police have provided no explanation for the shooting, or why Geer was left unattended for an hour afterward and apparently bled to death.

Geer’s girlfriend of 24 years, Maura Harrington, said the death still weighs heavily on their two daughters, ages 18 and 14.

“My girls have a right to know why their father was shot, and who shot him,” she said. “It’s not fair to them for this to keep dragging on. They need closure.”

The shooting occurred at the end of a standoff in August 2013. Police had been summoned to the townhouse because Geer, upset with Harrington, had tossed her belongings into the front yard.

Supervisor Pat Herrity (R-Springfield), who represents Geer’s district, said the circumstances of the shooting were worrisome. “I don’t have all the evidence in front of me, but from what I’ve seen, there are serious questions,” Herrity said.

Furthermore, mysterious obstacles have slowed the investigation. Although few details have been forthcoming, a major reason for the delay seems to be that the police have been reluctant to provide necessary information.

Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney Ray Morrogh spent five months on the inquiry before giving up and handing it over to U.S. Attorney Dana Boente.

Morrogh told my colleague Tom Jackman one of his problems “concerns some information, and I just can’t get it.”

That apparently referred to a refusal by police to hand over personnel files for the officer involved in the case.

Now Boente has had the case for even longer than Morrogh. It’s reasonable to assume he might be having some of the same problems that Morrogh did.

Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Sharon Bulova (D) told me Wednesday that the board has urged the police to cooperate, while respecting the rights of an officer who might face charges.

“We’ve strongly indicated that we want our police to do everything they can to move things along,” Bulova said. “It’s important that we also do so within the context of a federal investigation that could end up going to trial.”

Police Chief Edwin Roessler Jr. did not comment for this column. Previously, he said the department would not identify the officer who shot Geer because the policy was to wait until a criminal investigation is complete.

Nicholas Beltrante, executive director of the citizens coalition for police accountability, has his own theory about what’s going on.

“They’re stonewalling,” Beltrante said. “They’re allowing time to pass so the citizens of Fairfax County will forget about the matter.”

For the Geer family and the general public, that’s one outcome that shouldn’t be acceptable.

I discuss local issues Friday at 8:50 a.m. on WAMU (88.5 FM). For previous columns, go to washingtonpost.com/mccartney.