To the editor:
The current director of the Fairfax county animal shelter in concert with the deputy county executive, Tom Arnold, have been conspiring for the past year to eliminate the police department’s Animal Protection Police unit. To date, there has been on information made available to the public as to who will replace APP and what services they will provide. The public has had no input nor have the APP officers. It is my understanding that the vision of the shelter director is to turn the community into the animal shelter.
My concern is how is that supposed to work? What services will the animal shelter provide to the residents under whatever model is being proposed? Are most of the changes related specifically to the role of the animal shelter? If so, why is the county moving to eliminate Animal Protection Police? Why has the shelter director and the deputy county executive circumvented protocol and not first involved the Board of Supervisors and the voting, tax paying residents? Isn’t this exactly the kind of thing that angers most taxpayers? The lack of transparency with the government. Or is this just another way to eliminate police officers and replace them with untrained, unprepared civilians?”
And who will handle all of the wildlife calls that the Animal Protection Police respond to now?
Helen Allen
Reston, Virginia