Updated: New Chief Supports Police Reform In Fairfax County

Updated (April 27, 8:10 a.m.): This story was updated with a statement from Hunter Mills Supervisor Walter Alcorn.

FAIRFAX COUNTY, VA — Fairfax County Board of Supervisors named Kevin Davis as the new chief of the Fairfax County Police Department effective May 3. The board made the announcement Friday during a special virtual meeting.

Following the announcement, Davis said that he was looking forward to working with the department and would support the county's ongoing efforts around police reform.

"Reform is something we do for police officers not to you," Davis said. "It makes you better. It earns you a better relationship with the community. So, reform will be a constant topic of conversation."

Fairfax has been searching for a new chief since former Chief Edwin C. Roessler Jr. announced his intent to retire in November.

“As this nation looks to transform policing to make the community safer for everyone, we have the opportunity for a fresh perspective to further our work on police reform in Fairfax County," said Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeffrey C. McKay said, in a release. "After extensive outreach with the community and stakeholders, the board had a clear idea of the characteristics and leadership styles that would be needed in our next chief."

Previously, Davis served as the commissioner of the City of Baltimore Police Department from July 2015-January 2018, according to his LinkedIn profile.

Before going to Baltimore, Davis filled leadership roles in two Maryland jurisdictions, as the chief of police in Anne Arundel County and assistant chief of police in Prince George's County.

Davis' most recent job was as the director of consulting services at GardaWorld, a securities and investigations company. He is also an adjunct professor at American University and a lecturer at The Catholic University of America.

Following a brief closed meeting Friday afternoon to discuss the appointment of a public official, the board reconvened virtually a short time later for a public meeting. After Mason District Supervisor Penny Gross' motion to approve Davis' appointment was seconded, the board voted unanimously for him to be Fairfax County's next chief of police. Davis then joined the virtual meeting.

The new chief thanked the supervisors and complimented the board's leadership. He then went on to praise the "stellar reputation" of the county's police department.

"You guys are a great agency," Davis said. "Is there room for improvement? Of course. Are you up to the task? Of course. Is change sometimes hard and difficult? Absolutely. But, if you didn't know you were in a difficult position, you wouldn't be here, so we have to seize this moment and continue to get better."

As the new FCPD chief, Davis said he was looking forward to working with the county's diverse communities.

"We first have to establish legitimacy to earn trust," he said. "That takes hard work. It takes showing up every day and doing this work. We have to pay keen attention to vulnerable communities, underserved communities, and communities of color. We have to meet you where you are. We have to be better listeners. We have to be less defensive and we have to, quite frankly, see you. You have my word that I'm committed to doing that on behalf of Fairfax County."

When it comes to accountability, Davis said he would "call balls and strikes."

"No one hates a bad cop more than a good cop," he said. "You have my word that accountability systems will be in place."

In the aftermath of George Floyd's death last year in Minneapolis, McKay said the board was committed to demanding transparency and accountability for all of the county's agencies, including the police department. Supervisors found the money to speed up the roll out of body-worn cameras in all of the police districts across the county.

After an extensive search, board members chose Davis because they were confident he would was continue the county's work on police reform, according to McKay.

"He is recognized across the region as a leader in police reform and has a strong reputation and is well-respected in the communities he has served," McKay said. "I’m looking forward to both our diverse Fairfax County community and police department having the opportunity to meet our new chief and hear his vision and goals firsthand.”

Serving As Baltimore's Police Commissioner

Davis was appointed to be the police commissioner for the City of Baltimore after Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake fired the previous commissioner, Anthony W. Batts, in the aftermath of April 2015 riots following Freddie Gray's death.

During his tenure, Davis oversaw a department in which seven officers were indicted on a racketeering scheme in March 2017.

At the time, Davis acknowledged that multiple officers were not surprised when they learned of the charges. That was a problem because nobody had spoken up, he said — instead, it took a yearlong federal investigation to bring the issues to light.

"We have to break through this culture of looking the other way," he said.

In January 2018, Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh fired Davis, saying the need to end violence in the streets was the reason for the shake-up in the department that had battled violence on the city's neighborhoods and corruption within its ranks.

Praise For Davis

Lee District Supervisor Rodney Lusk, who chairs the board's Public Safety Committee, said Davis would bring a renewed commitment to common-sense reforms and data transparency, which would help eliminate disparities in use of force.

“I look forward to working closely with him to meet the commitments and expectations that Fairfax County residents and public safety professionals have expressed in our county’s Public Safety Community Input Matrix, and in the multiple forums that our Board has conducted," Lusk said, in a release.

Braddock District Supervisor James Walkinshaw, the co-chair of the Public Safety Committee, also praised Davis' appointment as the new chief of Fairfax County.

“Many law enforcement leaders have learned to talk the talk of police and criminal justice reform, but very few have actually done it," he said, in a statement."In Kevin Davis, we have selected someone with a proven track record of implementing meaningful reforms in the face of fierce resistance. That's why the Open Society Foundation — an organization working to develop policing systems that treat everyone equally — asked him to write the book on consent decrees and police reform. With Chief Kevin Davis, Fairfax County is poised to build on the accountability measures already in place here and lead the nation in ensuring that the law is employed as an instrument of justice."

Hunter Mill District Supervisor Walter Alcorn shared his praise for Davis' hiring in a release.

"Kevin Davis is the leader Fairfax County needs to move forward with critical reforms to improve trust, accountability, and relationships with our communities," Alcorn said. "I wholeheartedly support his appointment and expect Chief Davis to improve morale in the department and attract top-tier and diverse talent. In the coming months I look forward to several opportunities for Hunter Mill residents to meet Chief Davis."

Fairfax County was fortunate to receive input from the community during its search process, in which many candidates were considered, County Executive Bryan Hill said, in a release.

"There are few positions so vital to our community, and Kevin brings leadership, depth of experience and vision to the role,” he said. “I look forward to working together to move the department ahead, building on the reforms we have already put in place, at this defining moment in law enforcement around the country. Our goal is to be stronger and better prepared for the future of policing.”

Davis' salary as the police chief will be $215,000.

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