Falls Church Police’s community services officer James Brooks (left) with F.C. Chamber of Commerce’s Sally Cole and Police Chief Mary Gavin. (Photo: News-Press)

City of Falls Church Chief of Police Mary Gavin told the monthly luncheon of the Falls Church Chamber of Commerce today that “there is more good news than bad news” to report on enforcement issues in the ‘Little City,’ citing “a tight network of people who work and talk together” as a forceful deterrent to crime here.

The crime rate is down in almost all categories in Falls Church, significantly less than elsewhere in Virginia and the nation, with an 82 percent closure rate for police investigations compared to the national average of 65 percent. Officer James Brooks, the department’s community services officer, accompanied Chief Gavin today to discuss safety strategies with the business leaders present.