The Manassas Park Police Department's Community Service Division is responsible for the development, coordination, and evaluation of departmental crime prevention efforts. These efforts are aimed at protecting the residents, business community, and visitors of Manassas Park from victimization by anticipating, recognizing, and assessing the crime risk opportunity and initiating appropriate action to eliminate or reduce the opportunity for crime to occur.

The Community Services Division offers a variety of services in order to achieve our mission which include, but are not limited to the following:

School Resource Officer (SRO) 

The Manassas Park School Board and the Manassas Park Police Department have joined forces in an invaluable program which benefits Manassas Park’s greatest resources - its children. 

School Resource Officers are considered a part of the staff at the school where they work. The students and staff deserve the best protection from problems that are more likely to come from outside their campuses. One police officer is posted full time at Manassas Park Middle School and one at Manassas Park High School. These officers frequently visit both Manassas Park Elementary School and Cougar Elementary School. These officers are not there to serve as security guards, but to provide a professional police resource to the staff and students. 

School Resource Officers are available to assist students and staff in a number of ways. Not only do they respond to problems which are criminal in nature, they are involved in the classroom by sharing their particular field of knowledge on anything from career presentations to government and civic classes. This arrangement has been beneficial to both the Police Department and the School Board. While the school has the officer available at a moments notice, the number of patrol officer responses to the schools to handle problems has been dramatically reduced. 

SRO contact information is listed below: 

Officer Karin Bakken           Manassas Park High School            703-361-9131

Officer DJ Wheeler              Manassas Park Middle School         703-361-1510 

Community Resource Officer (CRO) 

Community Resource Officers are specifically trained officers trained to act as a liaison between the community and the police department in all matters dealing with crime prevention.

Each CRO represents the police department by providing a variety of subjects for presentation to citizen groups. Some of the subjects available include personal safety, workplace violence, burglary prevention, identity theft, holiday safety and gang awareness. Contact the Community Service Division to schedule a presentation on any of these subjects, or if you have a subject that is not listed but would be relevant to your community’s needs.

CRO contact is listed below:

Officer Matt Fallon                            Community Resource Officer          703-361-1136 (ext. 6827)

Lieutenant Dean Goodwin            CSD & ISD Commander                  703-361-1136 (ext. 6832)      

In the continued interest of established community police initiatives between the public and the City, Officer Matt Fallon operates out of the Department of Parks and Recreation’s Costello Park location. This will provide a more accessible link for general information, as well as face-to-face interactions that the every day visitor; to include neighborhood youth might not expect from the police.

Officer Fallon is specifically trained as a Crime Prevention Specialist; a nationally recognized professional certificate dealing with crime prevention initiatives. He remains interested and experienced in providing outreach programs to the public dealing with crime prevention, at-risk youth counseling focusing on anti-drug and anti-alcohol behavior, neighborhood watch meetings, and gang intervention, education, & eradication. 

Neighborhood Watch

Neighborhood Watch is a powerful tool that brings citizens together to make their neighborhood a safer place to live.

Residents are more familiar with their neighborhood than anyone and are the most qualified to recognize when something is amiss. Neighbors work in partnership with the police department to identify suspicious or unusual people, vehicles, or activity that may indicate a developing problem.

      Interested? Questions? Concerns? Comments?

Active Neighborhood Watch Groups

     Historic Manassas Park Neighborhood Watch*

    contact Tricia Sutherland at tsuthernurse@yahoo.com

Blooms Crossing Neighborhood Watch

                  contact Heather Gustin at hgustin@verizon.net

Community Resource Officers are available to assist with developing a Neighborhood Watch Program in Manassas Park’s residential communities.

Business Watch

Business Watch works in the same way as Neighborhood Watch, except that it is tailored to meet the needs of the business community.

This is achieved through partnerships with various business and professional groups and the police department.

A business watch can keep businesses within a geographical area aware of important crime trends and related information.

Vacation Home Check

As a service to the citizens of the City, the Manassas Park Police Department offers free vacation house checks. Officers will periodically check the exterior of your home while you are away. This service helps to deter potential burglars and provides for additional security while your house is unoccupied. 

Vacation house check forms Request for House Check must be submitted in person, with a valid I.D., to the Manassas Park Police Department from Monday at 9:00 am through Friday at 4:00 pm. 

Houses not eligible for the service are:

§          Houses unoccupied and under construction.

§          Houses unoccupied and listed for sale/show by realtors.

§          Houses where the owner has hired or appointed another person to periodically be there.

Property owners whose houses fall under these above exclusions may request an extra patrol.

Additional information about vacation house checks or extra patrol requests may be obtained by calling the Manassas Park Police Department at our 24 hour non-emergency number/dispatch (703)361-1136.

Security Surveys

Community Resource Officers will inspect a residential or commercial property at no cost to the property owner. Once the inspection is complete the officer will provide a written report that identifies areas where the owner has done a great job with security, and will make recommendations on improvements in design elements such as locks, lighting, or landscaping where needed. Call the Community Service Division at 703-361-1136 to schedule your Security Survey today! 

Safer by Design

The Safer by Design philosophy recognizes that neighborhood environments can either encourage or discourage criminal activity. Crime Prevention officers utilize the principles of Crime Prevention through Environmental Design (CPTED), a major component of Safer by Design, to identify the design elements that make it easier for criminals to operate. Through access control, territoriality, and natural surveillance – the ability to observe the natural surroundings, Crime Prevention officers help citizens take corrective measures to strengthen their personal security. These are the same principles that are applied when officers conduct residential or commercial security surveys, and when participating in the City’s Site Plan Review Committee which reviews all new construction and major renovation plans. 

Refuse To Be A Victim®*

Protect yourself and your family from today’s criminal. Attend the National Rifle Association’s Refuse To Be A Victim^® crime prevention and personal safety seminar taught by police officers from the Community Service’s Division. You will get the tools you need to develop your own personal safety strategy, including information on: 

·          The Psychology of the Criminal Mind

·          Home & Phone Security

·          Automobile & Travel Security

·          Personal & Technological Security

·          Self-Defense Tools & Training Options

·          And more!

New classes will be forming in the spring. Please contact Community Resource Officer Fallon at 703-361-1136 x6827 for more information. 

Police Station Tours 

Police station tours are offered to the public by appointment only, between the hours of 8am to 8pm, Monday through Friday. Request for tours must be made at least 3 days in advance.  To schedule a tour, please contact MPPD at 703-361-1136. 

Each tour includes an explanation of various sections and services offered by the Manassas Park Police Department. Most areas of the police station will be toured as long as no sensitive business or investigations are being conducted. An average tour is approximately 30-40 minutes long with questions and answers.

Groups should not exceed 20 individuals; smaller groups may be combined with other individual groups. 

Tours may be terminated if groups are disruptive; therefore, we ask that there be a sufficient number of adults to provide supervision of children. No minors or children under 18 will be permitted to tour the building without a parent/guardian and/or appropriate care-giver of age present. 

The Manassas Park Police Department encourages citizens to assist us in maintaining safe neighborhoods and streets.  By completing the Special Traffic/Criminal Activity Enforcement Request, our Officer's will know where, and when to set up radar or other proactive criminal enforcement efforts within the community in addition to our normal enforcement goals.

*Refuse To Be A Victim® is not a firearms instruction course, nor is the NRA directly or indirectly endorsed by the City of Manassas Park or the instructor.

Contact the Crime Prevention Officer