The Prince William County Police Department held its second annual community fair on Saturday, September 24.
The event attracted families, members of law enforcement, and the county’s fire and rescue department, who educated residents about the roles of each public safety agency and how they can work together to keep the community safe.
“So this is really a collaborative effort. I am very proud that we’re able to do this,” Prince William County Police Chief Peter Newsham told Potomac Local News.
Newsham is in his second year on the job in Prince William County after serving as the top cop for Washington, D.C.’s Metropolitan Police Department.
Since his arrival, the county has experienced a spike in crime and has conducted a wide-ranging internal investigation that included the department’s top brass and 45 officers. The study came after Cozy Bailey, the Prince William County NAACP President and husband of sitting Potomac District Supervisor Andrea Bailey, accused a police officer of using the “N” word when he came to speak to a group of officers in 2017.
In the end, investigators could not substantiate Bailey’s claims. Bailey made the accusation in 2021 during a meeting of the county’s Racial and Social Justice Commission founded in 2020 by the Board of County Supervisors to investigate the department’s hiring practices.
A whopping 96 percent of county residents surveyed have a favorable view of county police. Saturday’s festival is a way to build on that goodwill.
“…there are some divisive issues that are being discussed right now in Prince William County, and it’s going to be our diversity really that gets us through that,” Newsham continued. “…to get that kind of satisfaction rating, particularly after the murder of George Floyd, when there was a lot of stigma being attached to police, it just showed you, and I tell my officers all the time, ‘you can’t get a satisfaction rating like that doing something good a week before the service. That’s a day-to-day, every single interaction, 24 hours a day, seven days a week effort.’ We’re very proud of that.
Several non-profit organizations also attended the fair to educate residents about their services, including the Prince William County Sheriff’s Office, which provided Child ID services, Volunteer Prince William, and the Manassas National Battlefield Park.
A live band, stilt walker, face painter, and bubble blower entertained the crowd.
The event was held at the Prince William County Government Center, at 1 County Complex Court in Woodbridge.
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