The
police entered county politics in 2009.
Facing unprecedented cuts in public safety jobs and programs due to a
$650 million budget shortfall, the Fairfax County police union hired a
consultant and commissioned a poll of likely voters. Their hope was to use the
results to convince county supervisors that residents would rather spend tax
dollars on fighting gangs and keeping unsafe vehicles off the road than on
parks and libraries. The survey costs
the union $30,000.