Police
Community Policing
OVERVIEW
Arlington County, an "urban village" of approximately 26 square miles located just across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C., is both a residential community and a major employment center. The County's permanent population is currently in excess of 210,000 residents, with increases by more than 25% during the workday with the influx of commuters. Understanding that neighborhood identity and cohesiveness are an integral part of crime prevention and community policing, the Police Department uses ten police beats that coincide with the natural boundaries of the County's Civic Associations. Thus, each patrol beat is comprised of related civic associations and business districts with a proud history of mutual cooperation.
Community Policing by the District Teams
The District Teams are responsible for police services provided to the community to include response to both emergency and non-emergency calls for service, preliminary criminal investigations, special event planning, establishing a cooperative relationship with the community, and identifying broad based strategies to address crime trends and public perceptions of crime and safety. These efforts link the department to the neighborhoods more strongly and further enhance the partnerships already developed with civic associations, residents, business groups and public/private entities. District personnel do not limit their activities to reducing or preventing crime, but also attempt to solve problems that affect citizens’ quality of life with assistance from other County agencies as needed. These three Districts are commanded by Police Captains, who report directly to the Deputy Chief of Operations.
