With the return of the city’s safe exchange zone at the Manassas City Police Department, residents of Manassas now have a designated safe space to conduct online purchases and child custody exchanges.

Located behind the Public Safety Facility at 9608 Grant Ave., the zone is marked and offers a secure environment for community members to meet.

City Spokeswoman Lisa Otten clarified the exchange zone’s history, noting it wasn’t removed but relocated to the police department’s new facility in the winter of 2022.

“This is a great area for residents who wish to meet each other and exchange items which have been bought or sold using online sites, or domestic child custody exchanges,” Otten said.

While officers do not monitor exchanges, the area’s proximity to the police department gives residents an added sense of security.

The return of the safe exchange zone reflects a growing need for secure public spaces to facilitate online transactions and sensitive custody exchanges. Communities nationwide have embraced similar zones as a preventive measure against fraud, theft, and disputes.

Residents are encouraged to use the safe exchange zone whenever possible. Its location behind the Public Safety Facility ensures convenient access while maintaining privacy for those conducting exchanges.

For more information about the safe exchange zone, visit the Manassas City Police Department website.

The Prince William County Police enforce traffic safety all year, and the Department reminds motorists to Wear your seatbelt every time! That is the underlying message of this year’s “Click It or Ticket” seatbelt enforcement campaign, which runs from Nov. 23, 2024, through Dec. 1, 2024. Seatbelts save lives!

Prince William County Police join law enforcement agencies throughout Virginia in the “Click It or Ticket” campaign to enforce the Commonwealth’s safety-belt and child safety-seat laws. The Department will participate in high-visibility patrols – day and night – through Sunday, December 1.

Wear your seatbelt every time! Seat belts are mandatory in Virginia for all persons riding in the front seat. Virginia car seat laws also state that:

All children under the age of eight must ride in a federally approved, secured safety seat.
Children between eight and 15 must use a safety seat, booster seat, or seat belt, no matter where in the vehicle the child is riding.
It is the driver’s responsibility to make sure all children, age 15 and under, are secured properly.
Wear your seatbelt every time! Virginia law allows police to cite anyone driving a car in which an occupant under age 16 is not wearing a safety belt or is not in a child safety seat. It also provides that drivers may be cited if they are not properly restrained if stopped for other violations.

“Click It or Ticket” is one of several programs under the Smart, Safe and Sober partnership. Smart, Safe and Sober is a statewide program dedicated to preventing death and injury on Virginia roadways. It is a partnership of the Prince William County Police, the Virginia Association of Chiefs of Police, the Virginia Department of State Police, the Virginia Sheriffs’ Association, DRIVE SMART Virginia, and the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles.

Wear your seatbelt every time! Unless you want to risk a ticket, or worse, always remember to “Click It or Ticket,” day and night.

Fairfax Water will test the Occoquan Dam Siren warning system on Wednesday, November 20, at 10 a.m. The sirens are intended to alert people near the Occoquan River to seek higher ground in case of a dam failure.

Press Release from the Town of Occoquan:

On Wednesday, November 20, 2024, at 10:00 a.m., Fairfax Water will conduct its annual test of the Occoquan Dam Siren warning system. Sirens in this warning system are designed to alert people to seek higher ground in the highly unlikely event that there is ever a massive failure of the Occoquan River Dam. The impact zone includes areas in Prince William and Fairfax Counties located immediately adjacent to the Occoquan River from the Town of Occoquan to Belmont Bay. For more information, including to hear what the siren sounds like, go to https://www.fairfaxwater.org/occoquan-reservoir/occoquan-dam-siren.

Detectives obtained charges on October 17, 2024, related to a sexual assault reported in 2023 involving a victim and her acquaintance. The accused is wanted for rape and abduction, and efforts to locate him have not been successful.

Press Release from Prince William Police Department:

Rape Investigation – On October 17, 2024, detectives obtained charges in an ongoing investigation regarding a sexual assault that was reported to have occurred at a residence located in the Woodbridge (22191) area of Prince William County in 2023. The investigation revealed the adult female victim was sexually assaulted by an acquaintance, identified as the accused. While investigating the incident, detectives learned the accused had held the victim against her will in an altercation in 2022. The victim eventually reported the incidents prompting the police investigation. Following the investigation, detectives obtained arrest warrants for the accused, identified as Kelvin Johnson ALVARADO-AGUILAR. Attempts to locate the accused have been unsuccessful.

Wanted: [Photo from November 2020]
Kelvin Johnson ALVARADO-AGUILAR, 36, of the 1300 block of Ironwood St. in Woodbridge
Described as a Hispanic male, approximately 5’9”, 180lbs., with black hair and brown eyes
Wanted for rape and abduction