LoudounNow Now LOUDOUN COUNTY’S COMMUNITY-OWNED NEWS SOURCE
[ Vol. 1, No. 46 ]
[ loudounnow.com ]
INSIDE:
DISCOVER LOUDOUN
[ Sept. 29 – Oct. 5, 2016 ]
Douglas Graham/Loudoun Now
Loudoun County Deputy Sheriff Grander works crossing guard detail at Balls Bluff Elementary School in Leesburg.
WE’RE HIRING
Law Enforcement Agencies Ramp Up Recruiting Efforts BY DANIELLE NADLER & RENSS GREENE
W
hen you call 911, who shows up? Fewer young people are signing up to protect and serve. There is a nationwide shortage of law enforcement officers, with the number of applicants down by 90 percent in some departments, according to news reports. Working in law enforcement can be dangerous and stressful. The hours aren’t great, and the pay isn’t particularly enticing. But top law enforcement officers prom-
ise the job can be rewarding, and they’re working to spread that message to attract new talent. While the problem is less severe here, Leesburg Police Department and Loudoun County Sheriff ’s Office are experiencing higher-than-normal vacancy rates, and rolling out major recruiting efforts to stay ahead of the problem. The Sheriff ’s Office has 48 unfilled deputy positions; Leesburg Police has 18. The hiring deficit is much worse at the state level. A Richmond Times-Dispatch article last week stated that 103 sworn employees and 76 civilian
employees have left the Virginia State Police so far this year, leaving 116 vacancies in the field. The growing tension between the police and the communities they serve, especially at the national level, is one factor law enforcement leaders say is hurting their recruiting efforts. “There’s a lot of tension in this profession, whether it’s from an officer safety perspective or from a citizen perspective,” said Major Vanessa Grigsby, who is servRECRUITMENT >> 34
As Investigation Continues, Mother of Fatally Injured Baby Thanks Community BY DANIELLE NADLER Four weeks after a baby in a stroller was hit by a car and killed, no charges have been filed, but Loudoun prosecutors and Sheriff ’s Office investigators have said they are continuing to review evi-
dence in the case. Five-month-old Tristan Schulz and his mother, Mindy, were hit by a Jeep while walking in a Lansdowne crosswalk on Aug. 31. The baby died and his mother was hospitalized but has since been released.
The Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office issued an update on the case Friday afternoon. “As required by law, much of the evidence to be collected must be done so via search warrant to the appropriate entities,” the office stated. “To date, numer-
ous search warrants have been executed in relation to this incident. Gathering this type of information is largely dependent upon these entities and their ability to timely process and collect the inforINVESTIGATION >> 35
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