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Sunday, June 22, 2025

Mike Chapman, Virginia’s Sheriff Keeping Streets Safe Through Enforcement of the Law

Traffic stops and searches of motorists in Loudoun County have increased dramatically the first three months of this year compared to the same period in 2024, sparking complaints from activists and some residents.

Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office, ICE, & Keeping You Safe

LCSO, ICE, and Keeping You Safe – Fact versus Fiction  Loudoun County, VA (June 12, 2025): The Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) is recognized as a national leader in keeping our residents safe. Serious crime was down an additional 29% in the first quarter of 2025, and Loudoun continues to be the safest locality in the Washington metropolitan region. Unfortunately, LCSO’s commitment to your safety has been mischaracterized by a small number of political activists with a record of opposing public safety. There is fiction, and there are the facts. First, our relationship with U. S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE): FICTION: The LCSO signed a new agreement with ICE to target people based on their immigration status. FACT: The agreement we signed with ICE, not yet in force, applies only to persons already at the Adult Detention Center (ADC) on unrelated criminal charges. It gives ICE extra time (up to 48 hours) to pick up criminal aliens upon their release from custody at our local jail. FICTION: Holding a detainee an extra day or two creates a heavy financial burden on Loudoun’s taxpayers. FACT: Most costs are fixed at our ADC, regardless of the jail population, and the average cost of holding a detainee longer amounts to about $4.50 per day.  Our agreement also provides that ICE will pay for any medical costs associated with that hold. That’s a small price to pay for public safety. Second, traffic enforcement: FICTION: The Latino community is being targeted in motor vehicle stops and searches.  FACT: Increased traffic enforcement is the most frequent request from our Board of Supervisors and the residents we serve, and motor vehicle stops are only conducted by patrol deputies when violations are observed. We have increased those efforts countywide – especially in eastern Loudoun where traffic is the greatest – and the result has been greater public safety.FICTION: Vehicle stops, searches, and arrests should be proportional to demographic population groups. If not, this indicates profiling. FACT:  We deploy our deputies based on data-driven analysis – where calls for service and crime trends are the greatest.  Eastern Loudoun has high population density and diversity, as well as the most traffic, crashes, calls for service and crime, so we deploy more deputies there. This is not profiling, and serious crime in eastern Loudoun was down 30% in the first quarter of this year.FICTION: The LCSO is stopping and searching vehicles based on immigration status. FACT: Vehicles stops and searches are done for cause, and immigration status has nothing to do with it. Vehicles are searched for one of three reasons: when there is probable cause related to potential criminal activity; as part of an inventory following an arrest; or following a request and consent. Our deputies never ask for a person’s immigration status, nor is that information available to them when they make a vehicle stop or arrest. FICTION: Residents are complaining about traffic enforcement in eastern Loudoun. FACT:  The LCSO has received few complaints about traffic enforcement and crime prevention, most of which have been orchestrated by persons with political agendas in conflict with public safety.Third, transparency: FICTION: The LCSO is not transparent with the information it releases. FACT: The LCSO is highly transparent. We regularly report to the community we serve and provide all releasable information in accordance with the Code of Virginia and Freedom of Information Act, and in coordination with the Loudoun County Attorney.  Information about detainers and warrants from other law enforcement agencies for persons arrested in Loudoun on local charges may be requested from those agencies. https://sheriff.loudoun.gov/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=9860LCSO, ICE y su Seguridad - Realidad versus FicciónCondado de Loudoun, Virginia (12 de junio de 2025): La Oficina del Sheriff del Condado de Loudoun (LCSO) es reconocida como líder nacional en la seguridad de nuestros residentes. Los delitos graves disminuyeron un 29 % en el primer trimestre de 2025, y Loudoun sigue siendo la localidad más segura del área metropolitana de Washington.Lamentablemente, el compromiso de la LCSO con su seguridad ha sido malinterpretado por un pequeño grupo de activistas políticos con un historial de oposición a la seguridad pública. Hay ficción y hay hechos.Primero, nuestra relación con el Servicio de Inmigración y Control de Aduanas de EE. UU. (ICE):FICCIÓN: La LCSO firmó un nuevo acuerdo con ICE para identificar a las personas según su estatus migratorio.REALIDAD: El acuerdo que firmamos con ICE, aún no vigente, se aplica únicamente a las personas que ya se encuentran en el Centro de Detención para Adultos (ADC) por cargos penales no relacionados. Le otorga a ICE tiempo adicional (hasta 48 horas) para detener a extranjeros delincuentes tras su liberación en nuestra cárcel local.FICCIÓN: Detener a un detenido uno o dos días más representa una pesada carga financiera para los contribuyentes del Condado de Loudoun.REALIDAD: La mayoría de los costos son fijos en nuestro Centro de Detención para Adultos (ADC), independientemente de la población carcelaria, y el costo promedio de retener a un detenido por más tiempo asciende a aproximadamente $4.50 por día. Nuestro acuerdo también estipula que ICE pagará cualquier costo médico asociado con esa detención. Es un pequeño precio que pagar por la seguridad pública.Segundo, la aplicación de las leyes de tránsito:FICCIÓN: La comunidad latina está siendo blanco de detenciones y registros de vehículos motorizados.REALIDAD: El aumento de las leyes de tránsito es la solicitud más frecuente de nuestra Junta de Supervisores y de los residentes a los que servimos, y las detenciones de vehículos motorizados solo las realizan los agentes de patrulla cuando se observan infracciones. Hemos incrementado estas medidas en todo el condado, especialmente en el este de Loudoun, donde hay mayor tráfico, y el resultado ha sido una mayor seguridad pública. FICCIÓN: Las detenciones, registros y arrestos de vehículos deberían ser proporcionales a los grupos demográficos de la población. De no ser así, esto indica perfilación.REALIDAD: Desplegamos a nuestros agentes basándonos en análisis basados en datos, donde las llamadas de servicio y las tendencias delictivas son mayores. La zona este de Loudoun tiene una alta densidad y diversidad poblacional, así como la mayor cantidad de tráfico, accidentes, llamadas de servicio y delincuencia, por lo que desplegamos más agentes allí. Esto no es perfilación, y la delincuencia grave en la zona este de Loudoun disminuyó un 30 % en el primer trimestre de este año.FICCIÓN: La LCSO detiene y registra vehículos basándose en su estatus migratorio. REALIDAD: Las detenciones y registros de vehículos se realizan con justificación, y el estatus migratorio no tiene nada que ver. Los vehículos se registran por una de tres razones: cuando existe una causa probable relacionada con una posible actividad delictiva; como parte de un inventario posterior a un arresto; o tras una solicitud y consentimiento. Nuestros agentes nunca preguntan por el estatus migratorio de una persona, ni tienen acceso a esa información cuando detienen o arrestan a una persona un vehículo. FICCIÓN: Los residentes se quejan de la aplicación de las leyes de tránsito en el este de Loudoun. REALIDAD: La LCSO ha recibido pocas quejas sobre la aplicación de las leyes de tránsito y la prevención del delito, la mayoría de las cuales han sido orquestadas por personas con agendas políticas en conflicto con la seguridad pública. Tercero, transparencia: FICCIÓN: La LCSO no es transparente con la información que divulga. REALIDAD: La LCSO es altamente transparente. Informamos periódicamente a la comunidad a la que servimos y proporcionamos toda la información disponible de conformidad con el Código de Virginia y la Ley de Libertad de Información, en coordinación con el Fiscal del Condado de Loudoun. Información sobre órdenes de detención y órdenes de arresto emitidas por otras agencias del orden público referente a personas arrestadas en Loudoun por cargos locales, se puede solicitar a dichas agencias. https://sheriff.loudoun.gov/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=9860 

Virginia doesn’t have statewide data center regulations. Localities are making their own rules.

Virginia is home to over a third of the data centers worldwide. These energy hungry facilities have brought business to the commonwealth, but communities are seeing the impact of the electricity and water usage hit their utility bills. Now, many localities are debating how to balance the opportunities and challenges data centers present, and grappling with how to regulate them.

Experts say that reports of the NoVa housing collapse are exaggerated.

Has the Market Imploded in the wake of and President ‘s efforts at firing hundreds of federal workers via Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency?

Terry Clower of University’s Schar of Policy and Government wrote an email on Monday stating that there are hoax posts going around the Internet. There is no evidence that federal workers have a significant impact on the housing market.

Lisa Sturtevant, the chief economist at Bright MLS, a Maryland-based real estate data company, said that between February 3 and 16 there were 2,829 listings added to the Washington, D.C., marketplace. In 2024, there were 2,820 listings in the same area.

Sturtevant’s region included Alexandria, Fairfax, , Fredericksburg, Manassas, Manassas Park, the counties of Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun, Prince William, Spotsylvania, Stafford, Washington, D.C., five Maryland municipalities, and Washington, D.C.

Sturtevant stated that there was no surge in new listings. Sturtevant said, “We cannot see any surge in the number of new listings.”

Northern Association of Realtors’ CEO Ryan T. McLaughlin urged buyers and homeowners to take a deep breath before reading social media posts that discuss the collapse of the real estate market in the region.

He said, “Like everything else you read on the Internet, you can’t always believe what you see.”

Virginia is home to more than 140 000 federal employees, according U.S. Senator , Virginia’s junior senator. The has so far laid off 200,000 civilian federal employees, and issued return-to office mandates for all agencies.

NVAR keeps a close eye on the market’s response to federal mandates for returning to work and reductions in the workforce. McLaughlin stated that about 30% of federal employees are eligible to retire.

He said that some people may decide to leave the workforce altogether rather than endure long commutes to work if they were forced to do so. Some may decide to commute. Some people may decide to buy a house closer to D.C.

Sturtevant says that even though housing inventory has increased in Washington, D.C., and across the United States, it is still lower than pre-pandemic levels for most markets. According to Virginia Realtors, the state’s housing was static in 2024 with only 102,509 sales. This is just 4,000 fewer than last year.

New listings are increasing in some markets around Washington, D.C. Sturtevant stated that the geographical pattern of listing activity does not indicate a connection between federal employees and homeowners.

Spotsylvania had 27% more new listings, while Stafford was 30% less.

Chris Colgan is a realtor who works with buyers and sellers of properties in Northern Virginia. He said that he has clients who have made offers this weekend. He said that “every single house had multiple bids.”

Data also does not support the idea that sellers are panicking and slashing prices. Sturtevant reported that 6.9% of the active listings in Washington, D.C., had been reduced last week. She said that the price reductions were almost identical to those of last year, and also the week before.

Sturtevant noted Monday that she is working on a study that shows that the number of buyers who request home tours in the D.C. Metro [region] has “dipped a little sharper than in other markets,” meaning that buyers may not be as interested in D.C. at this point as they were last year.

She said that while there might be “some pullback” in the market, “it is not this big change in the market conditions.”

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