No new police despite rash of shootings at county schools

[Updated 9 p.m.] Short on police officers, Prince William County is reeling after two shootings at public schools.

During an argument outside Benton Middle School, two men were shot during a youth football game on Sunday, May 1. Both are expected to survive.

Police are searching for 23-year-old Isaiah Malik Gordon of Woodbridge, connected to the double shooting.

On April 15, 2022, a 14-year-old girl was shot in the stomach at a spring carnival at Gar-Field High Senior School in Woodbridge. The victim suffered non-life-threatening injuries, police said.

The rash of violence comes as elected leaders in Prince William County passed a historic $3.8 billion budget. Despite pleas from Coles District Supervisor Yesli Vega, a reserve county sheriff’s deputy, to hire more officers, a rising crime rate, and a growing population, the budget funded zero new police officers.

However, it provided funding to hire 15 new civilians who would fill jobs now performed by sworn police officers. During budget deliberations on April 19, County Police Chief Peter Newsham assured Supervisors he would be able to fill the vacancies despite more than 200 county jobs that have gone unfilled in the past two years, returning the sworn officers to the streets.

At the same time, he also said the county needs more cops.

“If you talk to the officers out in the field, I go to roll calls quite a bit, and the one thing they talk about is getting additional bodies… sworn officers that are trained into the field,” said Newsham.

In March, Newsham said it’s been difficult since the murder of George Floyd to hire new and retain sworn officers. During an online conversation with the Committee of 100, Newsham reported a 10% turnover rate in the department.

The department has more than 700 officers. According to the county government’s police level of service standard, Prince William is short more than 340 police officers.

“Despite passing the largest budget, with $124 million in new spending, we don’t have enough to hire 342 new officers, but you would think we would have room to hire at least a few,” Vega, who voted against the budget, told Potomac Local News.

According to Neabsco District Supervisor Victor Angry, who voted to approve the budget, 21.25% of the county’s budget is spent on public safety. “In my opinion, our police department plays a role in prevention throughout the county on various issues and concerns and I believe they do a good job at it through their various prevention programs,” said Angry.

Sunday’s shooting at Benton Middle School took place as children in the 703 United Youth Sports football teams were on the field. The league posted a statement on Facebook denouncing the shooting and said the incident was not affiliated with the group.

All groups who contract with Prince William County Public Schools to use its facilities must sign an agreement to abide by its rules, which include a ban on weapons.

“We have no reason to believe the shooting had anything to do with 703 United (formerly American Pride Football),” said schools spokeswoman Maria DellaFave. “703 United has been using [Prince William County Public Schools] fields…for many years.”