Crime & Safety

National Police Week Poignant for County Officers

May marks National Police Week and the anniversary of the 2006 shooting deaths of two Fairfax County officers.

May is a difficult month for Fairfax County Police Chief David Rohrer and his department.

May 8 marks the sixth anniversary of .

In conjunction with National Police Week 2012, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors proclaimed May 13 - 19 as Police Week and May 15 as Peace Officers Memorial Day in the county. 

Find out what's happening in Burkewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

On a dreary afternoon on May 8, 2006, Michael Kennedy, a Centreville teen, opened fire at Detective Vicky Armel and Officer Michael Garbarino in the back parking lot of the . Armel was killed and Garbarino was severely injured. He died from his wounds nine days later.

“The officers of the Fairfax County Police Department and the Fairfax County Sherriff’s Department are loyal, faithful, devoted and selfless in their service to our diverse community and have established an enduring reputation for preserving the security and rights of all residents in the county,” said Mount Vernon District Supervisor Gerry Hyland when reading the proclamation during the board’s May 1 meeting.

Find out what's happening in Burkewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Hyland said he had had five uncles who were involved in police work and understood the importance of public service.

“There really isn’t an adequate way to express on behalf of all the people we represent the thanks and gratitude for the work our police do day in and day out,” he said.

Rohrer spoke on behalf of his department to thank the board for the recognition.

He said that May is a “poignant” month for him and his officers. They attended the 22nd annual candlelight vigil Sunday at the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, D.C.

On Tuesday, they will participate in a memorial service for fallen county public safety employees in the rose garden behind the Massey Building in Fairfax.

In 2009, 122 law enforcement officers in the United States lost their lives, a 50-year low, Rohrer said. But he lamented a rise in “attacks and ambushes on police officers,” with more than 170 deaths in 2011.

“We cannot be afraid to do our jobs, and we’re not,” he said, adding that he had mandated the wearing of bullet-proof vests for “all men and women on operational assignments.”


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com.