Department of Police and Public Safety

George Mason Police help emergency efforts and assess storm damage from Hurricane Helene

Lauren Reuscher — Thu, 03 Oct 2024 15:17:31 +0000

George Mason Police help emergency efforts and assess storm damage from Hurricane Helene Lauren Reuscher Thu, 10/03/2024 - 11:17

��AV Police’s Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) teams supported the Virginia Department of Emergency Management (VDEM) deployment to Appalachian Power in Ivanhoe, Virginia, over the weekend. The primary mission at Ivanhoe—between Carroll and Wythe counties—was to inspect two dams, built in 1912 and 1913, as well as the power distribution lines affiliated with them.

Record precipitation and the effects of Hurricane Helene caused the second highest water level and flow on the New River since 1940, exceeding the design basis for the dams. The power lines are difficult to access from the ground, but the Mason Police drones flew above and across mountains, following the power lines so that engineers could watch the livestream and assess possible damage.

The drone deployment by Mason Police helped Appalachian Power ensure the integrity of the facilities more safely and efficiently.

“This storm has impacted all Virginians, and ��AV is always ready and willing to lend a helping hand,” said Michael Lighthiser, the deputy chief who oversees Mason Police’s Special Operations, Research and Training Unit. “We have some very special capabilities, and we are proud to be able to help our fellow Virginians to safely get back on their feet in the aftermath of such a devastating storm. It’s the right thing to do.”

George Mason Police Corporal Blaine Ries (left) delivered a Starlink satellite internet system to the Asheville Police Department to help restore communications to their headquarters after the devastation of Hurricane Helene. Photo provided

After returning from the drone mission, Mason Police answered another call for assistance from the path of Hurricane Helene. With all communications service lost in Asheville, North Carolina, after devastating and deadly flooding, the Asheville Police Department requested a Starlink system to restore cell and internet service at their headquarters. The Mason Police have Starlink systems available, which provide high-speed satellite internet access.

Mason Police Corporal Blaine Ries hurried into his Starlink-equipped drone truck and headed to Asheville. To get there, he needed to drive through Tennessee and approach from the south in order to avoid the worst of the devastating storm damage. Arriving shortly after midnight on Tuesday, Oct. 1, he quickly set up the Starlink, giving the Asheville police the communication access needed to coordinate their rescue and emergency management activities.

George Mason Police’s drone teams have been an important resource for other jurisdictions, providing aerial support and training to other agencies. In late July, at the request of the Virginia Office of Public Safety and Homeland Security, Mason Police taught a weeklong drone class to more than 20 police and fire department agencies in southwest Virginia to help them start the process of launching drone teams.

“I am very proud that the 12 members of our UAS team are always ready and willing to deploy, at a moment’s notice, anytime their unique capabilities are needed to enhance the public safety of our community and beyond,” said Carl Rowan, George Mason chief of police.

Mason Police includes more than 135 full and part-time personnel including more than 50 sworn police officers who provide services to the Fairfax, Mason Square, and SciTech campuses. The department maintains a close working relationship with the Virginia State Police and the police departments of the City of Fairfax, Arlington, Fairfax County, and Prince William County.

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Meet the Mason Nation: Officer Ashanti Mumin

Shayla Brown — Thu, 08 Jun 2023 17:51:39 +0000

Meet the Mason Nation: Officer Ashanti Mumin Shayla Brown Thu, 06/08/2023 - 13:51

Officer Ashanti Mumin with his K9 partner, Bunji. Photo by Evan Cantwell/Office of University Branding

Job: Police Corporal and K9 Officer, Department of Police and Public Safety

Members of Mason’s Police and Public Safety Department maintain a presence on the university’s campuses and are a visible part of Mason Nation. One of the “officers” students are always happy to see is Bunji. His partner, Ashanti Mumin, is pretty special too.

A Dog’s Life: Mumin, who joined Mason in February 2022, recently transferred to Mason’s Police Crisis Response Unit, which handles calls for mental health service. Bunji, an Aussiedoodle therapy dog, accompanies Mumin during his calls. “Bunji has been a great addition to the team,” said Mumin. “We’ve bonded over the past month, and I’ve adopted him as my child.” Bunji and Mumin respond to calls for students who are in emotional distress, but Bunji is also there to support his fellow officers. “There's a stigma when it comes to police canines, so we're changing the title of his job from [therapy dog] to comfort dog. He serves a purpose, and he has been fulfilling that purpose 100 percent.”

Supporting the Campus Community: Exam periods, such as midterms and finals, can be a source of stress for many students. When the stress becomes too much and students reach out for help, it’s Mumin who gets that call. “It can get overwhelming,” said Mumin, who worked for the Fairfax County Sheriff’s Office for four years prior to joining Mason and has a background in responding to mental health crises. Many of the calls the duo responds to involve first-year students. “It’s their first time away from home, and they haven’t been exposed to a lot of things that campus life brings.”

K9 Police dog, Bunji and his partner, Officer Ashanti Mumin.
Photo by Evan Cantwell/Office of University Branding

Answering the Call: While Mumin is dedicated to improving the mental health of Mason students, he is also looking out for his fellow officers. After noticing that officers assisting community members in crisis didn’t have a strong support system of their own, Mumin formed the Peer Support Team. “Officers’ mental health is very important, because when they're on scene of a call, they need to be 100 percent focused,” said Mumin, who began overseeing the unit’s wellness program in May 2023. “Many officers believe that we need to just suck it up. [Because of this] officers will leave stuff dormant, causing issues in the long run. We needed something for our officers to speak freely about whatever they’re feeling.” And all information shared with the support team is kept confidential, he added.

Outstanding Achievements: Because of his work on the Peer Support Team, Mumin was recently honored with a university Outstanding Achievement Award, but he says he’s not an awards kind of guy. “I don't do things for the awards, but I do things because it's right,” said Mumin. “We need the public to understand that officers do [sometimes need support]. We’re human, and the things that we see day to day, the average human just doesn’t see, but when they do, they suffer some sort of trauma.”

Mason K9 Teams: Bunji and Mumin can usually be found walking around campus during the day and are always looking to connect with community members, but they are not the only Mason K9 team.

K9 Titan and his handler Lt. John O’Hare are Mason’s longest serving K9 unit and have been protecting Mason’s campuses together since 2018. Titan is trained in explosive detection. Together, they have worked to protect a variety of visiting VIPs, including Vice President Kamala Harris and a several presidential candidates.
Cpl. Joseph Toke and K9 Flora started protecting Mason in November 2022 after completing explosive detection training together. They can usually be found out and about meeting new people on campus when they aren’t on an assignment.

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Mason Police provide aerial security support to Marine Corps Marathon

Colleen Rich — Wed, 02 Nov 2022 18:04:13 +0000

Mason Police provide aerial security support to Marine Corps Marathon Colleen Rich Wed, 11/02/2022 - 14:04

Members of one of five ��AV Police’s Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Teams assigned to Sunday’s Marine Corps Marathon stand as rooftop sentinels, watching the sun rise before launching multiple drones into the airspace above Arlington County to provide aerial security overwatch of the prestigious race, which is the fifth largest marathon in the United States. This was the first year that drones replaced expensive-to-operate helicopters to provide eyes in the sky. It was also the first time that the FAA had enough confidence in a law enforcement drone team to authorize flights in what is some of the world’s most restricted airspace. The drones provided real-time video feeds to the unified command center in a manner that is a game changer for decision makers in a massive security operation involving hundreds of law enforcement officers. The Mason Police continue to be trailblazers in the use of this amazing technology.

Photo by ��AV Police UAS Unit

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Mason Police carry a torch for Special Olympics

Colleen Rich — Fri, 17 Jun 2022 15:56:42 +0000

Mason Police carry a torch for Special Olympics Colleen Rich Fri, 06/17/2022 - 11:56

Photo by Sierra Guard/Creative Services

On June 8, 2022, officers from the ��AV’s Police and Public Safety Department and the City of Fairfax Police Department ran a two-mile loop on Mason’s Fairfax Campus as a part of the Law Enforcement Torch Run® for Special Olympics Virginia. The officers also raised more than $1,000 for the organization. The Torch Run unites officers from law enforcement agencies and corrections departments across the state to raise more than a million dollars annually. Each summer, law enforcement officials carry the Flame of Hope across the state culminating with the Torch Run Final Leg and the lighting of the cauldron to officially open our Summer Games in Richmond. The 1,900-mile, eight-day Torch Run involves more than 2,000 law enforcement officers and personnel representing more than 200 law enforcement agencies across Virginia. Shown here are Mason Police and Public Safety’s Chief of Staff Eric Fowler and Deputy Chief of Police Thuan Ly. Behind them is City of Fairfax’s City Manager Robert A. Stalzer.

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Mason drones help Coast Guard’s effort to free ship stuck in the Chesapeake Bay

Colleen Rich — Thu, 14 Apr 2022 13:22:22 +0000

Mason drones help Coast Guard’s effort to free ship stuck in the Chesapeake Bay Colleen Rich Thu, 04/14/2022 - 09:22

The ��AV Police Department is lending its aerial assets to efforts to free the large container ship stuck in the Chesapeake Bay. Photo by Mason Police UAS unit

The ��AV Police Department is lending its aerial assets to efforts to free the large container ship stuck in the Chesapeake Bay after running aground more than a month ago.

The Ever Forward is a Taiwanese-flagged ship that has been stuck near Annapolis, Maryland, since missing a turn in the shipping channel and running aground on March 13.

At nearly 1,100 feet long and 158 feet wide, the Ever Forward is the largest boat ever stuck in the Chesapeake Bay, one of the biggest boating hubs in the country

Mason officers responded to a U.S. Coast Guard request to provide their Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) drones in support of the operation. Mason UAS crews are operating from an 87-foot Coast Guard cutter after being picked up at Maryland’s Sandy Point State Park and transported 1.9 miles from shore to the cutter via small boat.

The UAS Unit comprises personnel from Mason personnel and the City of Fairfax Fire Department, with additional assistance from the Manassas Park Police and the Fauquier County Sheriff’s Department to help carry out the challenging week-long flight mission. Mason’s UAS operations began on Saturday, April 9, and are expected to continue through Saturday, April 16.

“Having seen the capabilities of the drones and the high quality of the video, [the U.S. Coast Guard] thinks that it is the best technology they have ever had at their disposal for incident command,” said Mason Police Chief Carl Rowan Jr.

The unit is providing real-time video feeds to the USCG Joint Operations Command, which oversees the operations.

“This is an international commerce problem,” said Michael Lighthiser, deputy chief who oversees Mason Police's Special Operations, Research and Training Unit. “We’re helping to facilitate what has to be done. We don’t have the ability to move containers, but we can make sure that those who do, can do so safely.”

Local, state and federal officials worry about the potential ramifications should the ship not be successfully freed.

“It’s a huge ecosystem and who knows what’s happened to that boat underneath,” Lighthiser said. The goal is to minimize negative economic and environmental outcomes.

After dredging efforts and two failed attempts to pull the ship out of the mud, state and local officials opted to lighten the ship’s load. Salvage crews using crane barges are removing hundreds of cargo containers from the Ever Forward. The Coast Guard says now the goal is to unload 550 containers—about 7.5 tons—off before trying again to pull the ship out of the mud.

But offloading in open waters can be extremely risky.

That’s where the UAS systems come in handy, allowing Coast Guard officials to see exactly what is on the ship and what it will require to get to it. The drones are also playing a key role in the enforcement of a 500-foot safety zone around the ship.