LGBTQ Support Team Plans Pride With The Police Event At Freddie's

ARLINGTON, VA — Members of the Arlington County Police Department's LGBTQ+ Liaison Team and the Arlington Restaurant Initiative are hosting a Pride with the Police event Friday, from 5-7 p.m., at Freddie’s Beach Bar and Restaurant. The informal event will give Arlington residents an opportunity to share their public safety concerns with the officers.

"Freddie's has been a great community partner to us over the years," said Ashley Savage, public information officer with ACPD. "Every winter holiday season, we do the toy drive. Freddie's always collects toys for us and donates it to the community. Through that, we really appreciate their partnership over the years. And we're looking forward to partnering again with them for Pride with the Police. We do think this is an important event for us to continue those community engagement conversations and ensure that we are serving Arlington's population as a whole."

Last December, Arlington County earned national recognition by receiving a perfect score on the Human Rights Campaign's Municipal Quality Index, which measures inclusiveness and protections for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer communities.

Arlington County Police were ahead of the curve compared to many other jurisdictions by recognizing back in 2007 the need for a special group dedicated to LGBTQ+ issues.

The team has many different duties, including recruiting and providing retention for LGBTQ employees. They also educate current and new officers about issues they may encounter while on the job.

"We also provide a liaison between the community that we serve and the LGBT community within the county and the police department," said, Corporal Matt Rihl, who is the team coordinator. "We provide investigative services if our investigative branch needs to reach out to us for any kind of specialized knowledge that they don't have."

Rihl is one of the few officers who has been with the LGBTQ+ Liaison Team since its inception. He admitted that in those early days the officers who volunteered to join the team weren't sure what was expected of them.

"Over the years, the community has been able to tell us, 'OK, these are the current needs that we've had,' and they change every few years," he said. "Something new comes to the forefront and the community says, 'Hey, we need you guys to look at this.' Recently we've been having a lot more issues with the 'Q' and the 'T 'part of LGBTQ."

The team is currently waiting for approval to receive LGBT Awareness for Law Enforcement training provided by the Napa Valley Criminal Justice Training Center. Through this training, the team will learn how they can teach other officers how to communicate with members of the trans community.

The team also works hand-in-hand with AGLA, an advocacy group that seeks to improve the quality of life and meet the needs of the LGBTQ community in Northern Virginia.

"I attend their meetings and listen to the concerns that they have and what they need the police department to do," Rihl said. "They also give us an incredible amount of support."

Prior to the pandemic, the LGBTQ+ Liaison Team regularly went out into the community for outreach, such as DC Pride.

"We would be there with a booth to help try to recruit new officers," Rihl said. "We went to Northern Virginia Pride to help recruit new officers there. The team would assist our HR department in answering questions and recruiting people at these different events."

With the COVID-19 restrictions lifted, the LGBTQ+ Liaison Team will be able to begin doing more public outreach, like the Pride with the Police event at Freddie's (555 23rd St. S.).

Related:

Arlington Earns Perfect Score On LGBTQ Equality Ranking