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Sheriff
About the Office of the Sheriff
The Sheriff is elected by the citizens of the City of Falls Church every 4 years. The Sheriff is referred to as a constitutional officer because the office is specifically established by the Constitution of Virginia.
The Sheriff's Office provides court security and prisoner transportation in addition to serving civil warrants and legal notices, as mandated by the Virginia Constitution and the Virginia Code. The office works in conjunction with the City of Falls Church Police Department in the performance of law enforcement functions including the issuance of traffic summonses, traffic control, special events, emergency response, and training exercises.
Meet Sheriff Matt Cay
The Virginia Sheriffs' Association profiled Sheriff Matt Cay. Read the full interview here, and see two highlights below:
- On what new initiatives do you plan to focus?
"The new initiatives I plan on focusing on include increasing the level of crisis intervention, de-escalation and alternate enforcement awareness and training provided to our deputies. This approach will also include an increase in all areas of training required in our operations to maximize competency and to optimize the abilities of all members of our agency." - How has COVID-19 impacted you, your office, and your work?
"COVID-19 impacts essentially every aspect of our operations and the implementation of our duties. However, maintaining a constant vigilance and awareness and the implementation of current best-practices including the recommendations and protocols of our community partners permits us to effectively address this challenging situation. Input from our surrounding jurisdictions, including affiliated law enforcement, government agencies, and health departments, permits us to maximize the safety to our personnel as well as to the members of the public with whom we interact and serve."
Thank You for Your Service, Sheriff Bittle
In August 2020, Sheriff Stephen Bittle retired after 54 years of service to the City of Falls Church, 28 of which were as Sheriff.
Sheriff Cay has over 20 years of law enforcement experience. He started service with the City in February 2003 in the Sheriff's Office, then joined the Police Department, and then rejoined the Sheriff's Office as Chief Deputy in October 2016. Previous to that, he practiced law in Virginia.
"I am looking forward to continuing to serve the City of Falls Church and our community as the Sheriff," said Cay.
Below: Sheriff Matt Cay (left) is sworn in with the help of retired Sheriff Stephen Bittle.