Shahram Fard will become the next police chief and director of public safety for the City of Falls Church.
City Manager Wyatt Shields said Fard will take over on January 22.
Fard comes to Falls Church from the Alexandria Sheriff’s Office where he is the chief deputy, leading the departments’s Judicial and Field Operations Bureau.
His career includes 25 years with Alexandria’s police department, as well as leadership slots with the Northern Virginia Criminal Justice Training Academy and the International Association of Chiefs of Police. He’s also an adjunct faculty member with the George Mason University Department of Criminology, Law, and Society.
Falls Church began a national search for a new chief when current chief Mary Gavin announced in September that she would retire in January.
The Virginia Association of Chiefs assisted the city with that search. In total, Falls Church vetted 37 candidates for the position and narrowed the choices to three people. Three panels — community members, members of the current police department, and retired chiefs from across Virginia — then interviewed final three candidates.
“Throughout the interview process it was clear that with Mr. Fard’s record as a senior leader in Northern Virginia’s law enforcement community that he is a perfect fit for our community. I look forward to working with him and continuing the high standards for community-based public safety for which our police department is known,” Shields said in a news release.
“Joining the Falls Church Police Department team is an absolute thrill and a privilege,” Fard said in the release. “I am excited to contribute and help uphold the tradition of excellence they are known for locally and nationally. I am eagerly looking forward to collaborating with everyone in the City of Falls Church community to provide exceptional public safety services.”
In the time between when Gavin leaves until Shahram Fard comes on board, Deputy Chief Maj. Jiwan Chhetri will serve as interim chief.
Garvin is retiring after more than 16 years with the department. She became chief in 2012 after five years as deputy chief. Prior to joining the City of Falls Church Police Department, she worked as an officer in Arlington County and played a critical role in the county’s response after the attack on the Pentagon in 2001.
Falls Church honored her with her own day on December 14.
Yesterday, the City of Falls Church honored Chief of Police Colonel Mary Gavin on her retirement after more than 16 years of dedicated service with the City's Police Department.
— City of Falls Church (@FallsChurchGov) December 15, 2023
Thank you for everything, Chief Gavin!
Read more: https://t.co/FlHSxyxmjH pic.twitter.com/aZysLnX1HG
Feature image courtesy of City of Falls Church
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