Despite greater policing presence in Arlington’s Green Valley community, county-government leaders believe that the neighborhood won’t be able to be fully vibrant without economic-development successes that too often have eluded it.
“I don’t want to understate the [economic challenges] we have,” County Manager Mark Schwartz said during a discussion at the Jan. 23 County Board meeting. “I think it will require a lot of effort.”
Although the Green Valley neighborhood of South Arlington is not even in the top 10, crime-wise, among Arlington communities (according to county-government data), a recent spate of high-profile incidents caused public outcry and, in December, a promise of help from the county government.
Schwartz said there has been a renewed effort on community policing in the community, as well as efforts to curb drinking in public spaces and offer more interaction with business owners.
That drew a positive response from County Board member Takis Karantonis.
“This is paying results – presence pays off; presence works,” he said, while also pointing (as he did in December) to the need to address root issues such as economic vitality – or, as Karantonis put it, “activity that creates the social control of a place.”
Green Valley for generations – from Virginia’s segregation era into the 1990s – was a nearly exclusively African-American enclave, but in recent years has seen a degree of gentrification. For those who have lived in Arlington long enough, there has been a sense of lather-rinse-repeat action and reaction: Crime or drugs or blight reaches an intolerable level for those living there, who demand county action, which is promised and delivered for a time, only to fall off again.
County officials recently met with the Green Valley Civic Association to discuss that organization’s concerns. An area that has drawn raised eyebrows in the community is a government plan to install video cameras in public areas.
“Placing county surveillance cameras next to the FREED sculpture [in the heart of the community] needs extensive public discussion and policy before implementation,” said Robin Stombler, who heads community affairs for the civic association. “Why should our community be watched?”
Portia Clark, president of the Green Valley Civic Association, said her expectations are for the well-being of residents of the neighborhood to be the first consideration of county officials in working to address issues.
“As the county takes a greater interest in public-safety matters, it’s important to remember the role of a civic association to ensure citizens are not ignored and our needs are prioritized,” she told the GazetteLeader.
While areas such as Clarendon and Pentagon City are seeing higher amounts of crime, it has been the types of crime that have occurred in Green Valley that have drawn the headlines.
“Arrests where there are firearms are particularly important,” County Board member Matt de Ferranti said, who also expressed the hope there would be as much media coverage of efforts to solve the problems as there was in late 2023 on the problems themselves.
