August 2026

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Change of Command

As of July 25th, 2026, Franconia District Station has a new Commander. Major Lowery has transferred to the Personnel Resources Division and newly promoted Major Deanna Weand is assumed command.

Dear Franconia Community,

This will be my final “Commander’s Message”, as I will be moving to the Personnel Resources Division.  As I depart my role as your commander, I want to offer my sincere thanks for your partnership and support over the past year.

Serving the Franconia Community this past year, which saw us move into a new facility, has been one of the greatest honors of my career, both as an officer and then as the commander of the Franconia Station. I enjoyed my time working within the Franconia Community and alongside our officers, supervisors, and professional staff.

I wanted to thank you all for the role you all played in continuing to help us drive down crime in your community. Please continue to be our “eyes and ears” in your neighborhoods as we strive to continue to make Franconia a safe place to work and live.

Lastly, I would like to introduce your new station commander, Major Deanna Weand. Major Weand is a phenomenal addition to Franconia, and I can confidently say you all are in good hands moving forward.

Thank you,

Marques

Major Marques Lowery

Major Deanna Weand, Franconia Station's new Commander is a longtime Fairfax County resident and mother of five, Major Weand brings both a professional and personal connection to the community she serves.

She has more than 20 years of service with FCPD, beginning her career as a public safety dispatcher before becoming a sworn police officer. Throughout her career, she has served in patrol and in a variety of supervisory, administrative, and leadership assignments. Her experience also includes supporting information technology and security operations for the 2015 World Police and Fire Games.

Most recently, Major Weand commanded the Community Engagement Division, leading community outreach, crime prevention, youth programs, volunteer services, and initiatives designed to strengthen relationships between the Police Department and the community. She also serves as commander of the FCPD Honor Guard.

Major Weand says she looks forward to getting to know the residents, businesses, faith communities, and organizations of the Franconia District. She is committed to responsive policing, meaningful community partnerships, and ensuring the station remains accessible and connected to those it serves.

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Click on an underlined heading to go directly to that section of the newsletter. Click 'Back to Table of Contents' to return here.

• Command Change
  
  • Departing Commander's Goodbye
  • About the New Commander
• Franconia Need to Know
  • E-Bikes and E-Dirt Bikes
• Officer of the Month

  • Stops Serial Retail Thief

• FCPD Information Releases - Franconia-related News
  
  • FCPD’s Summer Crime Prevention Initiative Results
  • Shop Smart, Meet Safe: Tips for Online Buying and Selling
  • FCPD’s Drone as 1st Responder Program Earns National “Best in Category” 
  • Man Faces Nearly 200 Criminal Charges in Gym Theft Investigation
  • Lock It or Lose It: 10 Tips to Help Prevent Vehicle Break-Ins and Theft.
  • Real Time Crime Center Expands AI-Powered Response Capabilities
• Traffic Safety Matters
  • Walk, Bike, and Ride to School Safely
  • Road Shark
  • Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over
• Crime Prevention and Community Outreach
  
  • New Laws Effective July 1st, 2026
  • National Night Out
  • Crime Prevention Presentations - CRASE, Scams, Assessments
• Community Advisory Committee
  
  • Summer pause - Next Meeting in September
• Crime Reporting
  
  • Franconia District Crime Report - June
• FCPD Crime Data
  • Crime Data Portal
  • How to Provide Tips - Crime Solvers
• Inside Franconia Station
  
  • Links to Inside Franconia Station Items
• Recruiting - JoinFCPD

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E-Bikes

Battery assisted bicycles, or e-bikes, can be a very useful means of transportation and recreation. They are increasingly popular, particularly with youthful riders. Teens and parents of teens that have or are planning to get e-bikes need to be aware of the laws regarding them. E-Bikes can travel at speeds of 20 mph or more. Knowing and following the rules is an important safety matter not just for the rider but also for others using the streets and walkways. Moreover, parental responsibility laws may hold parents legally and financially liable when their child has an accident or breaks the law riding an e-bike. Here are some things parents need to be aware of:

E-BIKES are battery-powered, have pedals and fall into one of three classes as shown in the chart. E-Bikes are legal to ride on roads & sidewalks and do not require license or registration. E-Bike riders must follow the same traffic laws that bicyclists do when riding on the roadway. Riders must stop for traffic lights and stop signs, obey lane markings, and yield right-of-way. Riders of Class 1 and 2 e-bikes under age 14 are required to wear a helmet. Riders of Class 3 e-Bikes must be 14 and are required to wear a helmet. Many e-bikes can be modified to exceed the legal maximum speed. When that is done, the e-bike becomes a motorcycle or moped and must follow those laws.

E-DIRT BIKES are another type of battery powered bike. They do not have pedals, are throttle-driven and look more like a traditional dirt bike than a bicycle. They are designed for off-road use and can travel at speeds over 35 mph. Riders must wear an approved helmet, must be 16 years old and must have a DMV registration, driver’s license, and valid insurance. E-Dirt bikes are not legal to ride on public roads unless they have DOT approved equipment (turn signals, horn, headlight/taillight etc.). When officers make a stop of an E-Bike or E-Dirt Bike: They will determine the rider’s age and the bike’s type/class. E-Dirt Bike riders need to be prepared to provide license, registration, and insurance information. E-Dirt Bikes are motorcycles; if unregistered they are subject to being towed! Officers will typically contact parents of underaged riders, or juvenile riders of illegal E-Dirt Bikes. If an E-Bike / E-Dirt Bike rider fails to stop or flees, this can result in criminal charges. Riders should be aware that failure to stop or eluding a police officer is itself a crime that could result in fines or jail time. Remember - always report crime promptly and report suspicious activity to the FCPD non-emergency number, 703-691-2131.

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Stops Serial Retail Thief

Detective Amini is currently assigned to the Shopping Center Unit at the Springfield Town Center and also maintains an active role in the collective bargaining negotiation team and as a member of the FCPD crisis negotiation team.  Det. Amini comes to work motivated to take on new cases, investigate crimes thoroughly, and coordinate with investigators both in FCPD and beyond.

An example of Det. Amini's hard work and tenacity was a case involving a theft reported by a department store days after it occurred. Det. Amini quickly reviewed footage, identified a vehicle, and communicated with local police and private investigators to identify a trend and help confirm probable cause that the offender was operating as an organized retail criminal. Through his quick follow up Det. Amini was able to identify the suspect vehicle as using fraudulent North Carolina temporary tags. His networking skills with area investigators found his suspect swapping out temporary tags and ultimately identified his actual license plate. He matched his suspect to the registered owner, who has a history of similar thefts in the Carolinas. During follow up of the vehicle's travels and using police databases, he found a pawn shop where the suspect sold his stolen goods in Anne Arundel County Maryland. He coordinated with local police, placed a hold on those items, and later retrieved the evidence from Maryland. As the vehicle used multiple license plates in its crime spree, Det. Amini had placed a vehicle alert through VCIN/NCIC using all associated tags, which resulted in North Carolina Highway Patrol stopping and arresting the driver, his offender, on multiple warrants from Virginia. The offender is awaiting extradition back to Virginia, but his crime spree was quickly ended.

Det. Amini was able to recover $2,000 of merchandise stolen from Fairfax County retailers.

For his actions in this case Detective Mohammad Amini is Franconia Station's Officer of the Month. 

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