Fairfax County Police Department News

Tomorrow marks Lieutenant Colonel Erin Schaible’s last day with our department, retiring after nearly three decades of service!

Over the last 28 years, Lt. Col. Schaible rose from patrol officer to Deputy Chief of the 32nd largest police department in the country. Along the way, she spent time in several of our eight district stations. For five years, she was Deputy Chief of Patrol, serving as the commander of the largest police patrol contingent in the state, being the first female law enforcement professional to do so.

Lt. Col. Schaible did not always know that she wanted a career in law enforcement, initially graduating from Virginia Tech with a degree in Fashion Merchandising and Design. However after moving to New York to pursue a career in the fashion industry, she quickly discovered that it wasn’t for her. She moved back to Fairfax County to work security at Neiman Marcus, eventually applying for our department after enjoying working alongside our officers at Tysons Corner Center.

Lt. Col. Schaible has worn many hats during her years with FCPD, including Captain of the Franconia District Station, then our Organized Crime and Narcotics Division. Once promoted to Major, she joined the Resource Management Bureau, where she managed facility security and operations as well as the FCPD fleet. She eventually landed as a Patrol Bureau Major, leading a diverse team of patrol commanders with multiple locations and specialties. It was a natural transition once promoted to Deputy Chief of Patrol. She served in that role for five years, spearheading initiatives to increase staffing in public safety agencies, developing a training strategy for new officers, and directing a multi-agency effort to reform juvenile justice protocols, which culminated in a Capstone Project and national award! Her final role, which she served in from August 2017 to present, was the Deputy Chief of Administration.

Her career with Fairfax County has been a great one, but it’s not the only thing that she gained through her role here. She met the man who she would eventually marry when they were both young patrol officers at our Mason District Station! He is currently a FCPD captain, and they have four children and a big fluffy dog named Yeti together.

Like so many of our officers, Lt. Col. Schaible gives well beyond what’s required by the job. Now that she is officially retired, she will be focusing on her family before figuring out what the next chapter holds. We know no matter what it is, she will exceed expectations. Lt. Col. Schaible, thank you for 28 years of service to Fairfax County. We couldn’t be prouder to call you one of our own!