Since Fairfax Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano took office in 2020, crime has increased by 32 percent in the county, despite claims Fairfax is the safest county of its size in the United States.
In the five years before Descano took office, Fairfax County recorded 4,836 violent crimes, according to National Review‘s analysis of yearly reports from The Major Cities Chiefs Association. The violent crime data includes robberies, rapes, murders, and aggravated assaults.
But, since Descano took office in 2020, crime has significantly increased. From 2020 to 2025 the county has recorded 6,372 violent crimes, a 32 percent spike compared to the five-year period before Descano took over.
Descano testified before Congress last week to defend his office’s policies regarding illegal immigrants in his jurisdiction. As commonwealth attorney, Descano has faced immense criticism for violent illegal immigrants running rampant in the county, specifically Abdul Jalloh, who allegedly stabbed Stephanie Minter to death at a Virginia bus stop in February. Jalloh, an illegal immigrant from Sierra Leone, previously had been charged at least 40 times for various violent crimes, and Descano’s office has dropped more than half of the charges.
“That [Fairfax County is the safest jurisdiction of its size] is a politically expedient and totally inaccurate statement, because Fairfax County is still safe, but it is less safe of late, and they need to do something about it,” Sean Kennedy, president of Virginians for Safe Communities, told the local ABC7 affiliate. “They’re putting up with Steve Descano’s antics and allowing him to continue to revictimize victims and make our communities less safe.”
Jalloh is just one example of Descano’s record as prosecutor. Richard Cox, a self-proclaimed transgender woman — and serial sex offender — went into a girls’ locker room, per guidelines allowing people to use the locker room that aligns with their so-called gender identity, and exposed himself to children in September 2024.
Cox’s probation was up in 2023, and after another indecent exposure charge was filed, Cox cried “anti-trans discrimination.” Descano ultimately declined to prosecute Cox, despite his record of sexual crimes. After years of run-ins with the police and evidence of possessing child pornography, Cox was still able to access the girls’ locker room in 2024.
Gret Glyer was murdered by Joshua Danehower, while Glyer slept next to his wife in June 2022, because Danehower was obsessed with Glyer’s wife after the pair had gone on a date a decade prior. Danehower did not serve any jail time, however, as Descano’s office negotiated an insanity plea. Danehower was deemed insane, regardless of his journal titled “the plan,” which included details and his reasoning for why he was going to murder Glyer.
“The same people are going free because there’s no accountability. In fact, the number of repeat offenders has only skyrocketed. All you have to do is look at Abdul Jalloh’s case. He has been accused of multiple stabbings, attempted murders, malicious woundings,” Kennedy said. “And after the first one, he got away with it. The second one, he got a slap on the wrist. The third one, he got away with it. The fourth one, he got away with it, and the police said, ‘Keep him behind bars.’ And once again, Steve Descano cut him loose.”
Descano, however, defended his policies in his testimony on Capitol Hill, saying the county’s “Trust Policy” is crucial to convicting criminals. In Fairfax, the policy allows illegal aliens to use city services or come forward to report crimes without fear of deportation. Historically, the policy largely did not allow for local police to notify Immigration and Customs Enforcement if they detained an illegal immigrant.
But one in five people in Fairfax are illegal themselves or live with someone who could be deported, Cato Institute’s David Bier said during the House hearing. While Descano claimed he does not give preferential treatment to offenders based on their immigration status, his campaign website previously included a policy promising that his “office will take immigration consequences into account when making prosecuting decisions.”
The policy was removed from the website after Descano was asked to testify, and when House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R., Ohio) asked Descano why the policy was removed, Descano said people are “obtuse” if they do not understand the difference between a campaign statement and office policy.
Kennedy of Virginians for Safe Communities also noted that Fairfax, which is mostly suburban, is being compared to larger, more urban cities with different demographics.
“Comparing any of those jurisdictions to Fairfax County is ridiculous and certainly misleading, because Dallas County, as well as Philadelphia, all about the same size as Fairfax, are significantly more urban, have a lot of issues,” Kennedy said. “It is the equivalent of comparing Japan to Egypt. They are the same size. They are completely different beasts. The idea that you would compare a very exurban and suburban area to a very urban area, and in crime terms, is ridiculous.”
Descano’s office did not immediately respond to National Review‘s request for comment.