Fairfax County, VA – The Fairfax County Police Department (FCPD) is furthering its commitment to transparency and community engagement by introducing three public-facing dashboards that provide greater insight into police activity and aviation operations throughout Fairfax County.
The announcement includes the launch of a new Calls for Service Dashboard, providing near real-time information about active police calls, alongside two additional resources highlighting the department’s Drone as First Responder (DFR) and Police Helicopter missions.
Calls for Service Dashboard
The new Calls for Service Dashboard displays active FCPD calls for service, including the general nature of each call and indicators showing when police aviation resources are associated with an incident.
The dashboard includes several key features:
- Near Real-Time Updates: Information refreshes every five minutes, providing a timely view of ongoing police activity.
- Active Calls for Service: Calls appear on the dashboard when the first responding police unit arrives on scene and remains visible until the last assigned unit clears the event.
- Daily Reset: The dashboard resets each day at midnight. Calls that remain active at midnight are removed from the dashboard and do not carry over to the following day.
- Helicopter and Drone Indicators: A helicopter or drone icon appears when one of these resources is assigned to a call for service. The icon remains visible until the call is closed, even if the aviation resource is no longer assigned to the incident.
These features provide residents with a convenient way to stay informed about police activity throughout the county, whether they notice an increased police presence in their neighborhood or are simply interested in learning more about the department’s daily operations.
Understanding Calls for Service Information
While the Calls for Service Dashboard provides valuable insight into ongoing police activity, it is important to recognize that the information displayed is preliminary and may change as officers investigate.
When a call for service is received, a call taker or dispatcher assigns an initial call type based on the information available at that time. As officers respond and gather additional information, the nature of the incident may change.
Although dispatchers and responding officers may update call information as an incident progresses, those changes are not always reflected on the dashboard before the call is closed. The call types displayed on the dashboard should not be interpreted as confirmed criminal incidents or final crime classifications.
The dashboard is intended to enhance public awareness of active police activity and should not be used to evaluate crime trends or draw conclusions about criminal activity in a particular neighborhood. For official crime statistics, historical crime information, and reporting data, community members should refer to FCPD’s Open Data Portal.
Greater Transparency into Police Aviation Operations
FCPD is also highlighting two public-facing dashboards that provide community members with greater insight into the department’s helicopter and drone operations.
The Drone as First Responder (DFR) Missions Dashboard and Police Helicopter Missions Dashboard provide historical information about aviation deployments dating back to October 1, 2026. Both dashboards display the mission type and the associated police district or fire station, giving community members additional context about how these resources are used to support public safety operations.
While the Calls for Service Dashboard provides a near real-time view of active police calls, these aviation dashboards allow residents to review previous deployments and better understand how aviation resources support police operations throughout Fairfax County.
Together, these three resources provide a more comprehensive view of police activity and reinforce FCPD’s commitment to transparency surrounding the use of public safety technology.
Explore Our Public Safety Dashboards
Residents, businesses, and community members are encouraged to explore these resources to learn more about police activity and aviation operations throughout Fairfax County.
- Calls for Service Dashboard: View active police calls for service, with information refreshed every five minutes.
- Drone as First Responder Missions Dashboard: Review historical drone deployments, including mission types and associated police districts or fire stations.
- Police Helicopter Missions Dashboard: Explore historical helicopter missions, including mission types and associated police districts or fire stations.
Community members can also play an active role in supporting public safety by registering their security cameras through Connect Fairfax County. This voluntary program allows detectives to identify registered cameras near an incident and request assistance from participants to help solve crimes, locate missing people, and support investigations.
For additional public safety information and department updates, continue following our blog and connect with us on X, Facebook, and Instagram at @FairfaxCountyPD.
