According to a survey by SafeWise published this year, our area is one of the safest places to live in the state of Virginia, with Buena Vista and Lexington ranking in the top ten. The Lexington and Buena Vista police departments and the Rockbridge County sheriff’s office keep our communities safe. These men and women, committed to serving and protecting, put their physical, mental and emotional well-being on the line for us all, but they are more than just their uniforms. These are people, with their own lives and stories. Why did they choose this line of work? What motivates them to keep going? How do they cope with the stress?
And what can we, as citizens, do to help with some of the common issues our local law enforcement officers grapple with to keep our localities the safest places to live in Virginia? In this interview series, we'll look behind the badge to see people, just like you and me, who choose to serve our communities in ways that make us safer and improve our quality of life.
This week's interview is with Deputy Emily Fary of the Office Of The Sheriff Rockbridge County and City of Lexington. Her law enforcement career has spanned two decades and her favorite food is homemade macaroni and cheese, and anything from Dottie's. She says Misty is the best cook!
Did you always want to be in law enforcement? If not, what was your original career path?
From childhood I knew I wanted to be a police officer. I loved watching the TV show C.O.P.S., with my German Sheppard by my side, I spent countless hours playing cops and robbers in the backyard. As far as I was concerned, I was well on my way.
When I was eight years old, my parents took me to a “Women in Public Safety” seminar hoping that it would inspire me. It was there that I saw a Fairfax County sheriff’s office deputy standing at her display table. Her hands were on her hips, her dress uniform pressed and crisp, and her Stetson hat (cover) was angled down low like a drill instructor.
I was completely start struck.
At eight years old, I turned to my mother and, with all the certainty in the world said, “I am going to be a deputy for Fairfax, and I am going to get me one of those hats.”
I did not know then exactly where that dream would take me, but I knew what I wanted to become.
Spoiler alert: I got my hat.
What motivated you to become a deputy?
From the ages of 12 to 18, I was a Police Explorer through Scouts of America and the Fairfax County Police Department. The Explorer program gives young people interested in law enforcement the opportunity to experience the profession firsthand through hands-on training and exposure to criminal justice practices. For me, it was not just an extracurricular activity – it reinforced that this was the career I wanted.
My junior and senior years of high school, I was fortunate enough to attend the Virginia Career and Technical Education Criminal Justice courses where I studied law, public safety, corrections and security. It was there that I met recruiters from the Fairfax County sheriff’s office.
I eagerly told them I wanted to become a deputy. There was just one problem – I was only 16. They told me, “Call us back when you are 18.” I never forgot it. Two years later, on my 18th birthday, I made that call. And the rest, as they say, is history.
Describe your journey from academy to where you are now.
The road to becoming a deputy certainly required hard work, determination and the support of family and friends. There were challenges along the way, but every step reinforced how much I wanted this career. The people who encouraged me, believed in me and stood beside me played an important part in turning the dream I had as a little girl into a reality.
In Fairfax, I served in several specialty units including Crisis Intervention, Peer Support, Project Lifesaver, Honor Guard and held positions with Fairfax’s Special Project and Reserve Deputy Coordinator, background investigator, recruiter, assistant squad commander and my last tour of duty was spent as the Co-Commander of the Fairfax County Crisis Intervention Team at the Sharon Bulova Center for Community Health. In 2015, I was honored to receive the American Jail Association’s “Top 35 Under 35” award that recognized the top 35 professionals under the age of 35 in the field of law enforcement and corrections throughout the United States. I am incredibly honored to have my story featured in the National Law Enforcement Museum’s “Stand With Honor” exhibit in Washington, D.C.
I retired from Fairfax after 20 years of service as a second lieutenant in March of 2024 and relocated to Rockbridge County. I was honored to be sworn in with the office of the sheriff, Rockbridge County and Lexington city in May of 2024.
What has been your favorite position, role or location?
One of my favorite roles was as the assistant commander of the Fairfax County Sheriff’s Office Honor Guard because it represented something much bigger than myself. I am deeply proud of our country, our flag and all it stands for. There was no greater honor than carrying the colors and having the privilege of representing them with the dignity and respect they deserve.
On May 5, 2012, I had the honor of being part of the first all-female Honor Guard team to compete in the annual COG Honor Guard Competition in Washington, D.C. I am incredibly proud that our team earned first place, but the experience represented far more than a trophy. We had the opportunity to represent women in law enforcement and demonstrate that female officers could compete, perform and excel at the highest level. Being part of that historic team remains one of the accomplishments I am most proud of in my law enforcement career.
Name a few of your daily tasks:
I currently serve as one of the agency’s Community Liaisons and Property and Evidence Custodian. I maintain my certification as a law enforcement instructor for the Commonwealth of Virginia, a Crisis Intervention Team trainer for both Rockbridge and Bath Regional and Blue Ridge CIT.
No two days look exactly the same. My responsibilities can range from answering emails and processing evidence to planning events, attending community meetings and helping to develop programs that strengthen the relationship between our agency and the people we serve.
One of those initiatives is our newly formed TRIAD/S.A.L.T. Council – a program focused on bringing seniors, law enforcement and community partners together to identify and address safety concerns affecting older adults in our community.
Under Sheriff McFaddin’s leadership, community outreach has become an important part of our agency’s mission. He is a strong proponent of law enforcement being present in the community – not only when someone needs help, but though education, prevention and building relationships. From our involvement in multiple children’s camps throughout the summer and the Sheriff’s Senior Socials to introducing and expanding safety programs and educational initiatives, we continue to look for new ways to serve.
I am also a Project Lifesaver Master Electronic Search Operator and Trainer with over 20 years of experience with the program. I am pleased to have been given the opportunity to continue to serve here in Rockbridge County by assisting with the office of the Sheriff’s Project Lifesaver program and helping provide this vital resource to vulnerable members of our community and their families.
In your position, what is the hardest part of your job?
The hardest part of this job for me is seeing a child or an animal hurt, frightened, or in need. They are among the most innocent and vulnerable members of our community and they depend on others to be their voice and their protection.
Those are the calls and situations that stay with me. No child or animal should have to experience cruelty, neglect, or fear. They deserve to feel safe, to be cared for, and to know kindness. Being in a position where I can help protect them, advocate for them, or simply provide comfort during a difficult moment is both one of the hardest and most meaningful parts of wearing the badge.
What is the best part? What motivates you to keep doing your job?
The best part of this career for me has been the opportunity to give back, make a difference, and hopefully inspire others. Whether it is providing toothbrushes to children experiencing homelessness, stopping to rescue an animal on the side of the road, or organizing a baby doll drive for seniors living with dementia, I am always looking for ways to do the most good with the badge I have been entrusted to wear.
Some of my favorite moments are the opportunities I have to talk with students and encourage them to follow their dreams and pursue their goals. I still remember being that eight-year-old little girl who looked at a deputy and saw the person she wanted to become. Sometimes a young person simply needs someone to tell them, “You can do this. Your dream is possible, and I believe in you.”
If I can be that person for even one child – if I can inspire them the way others once inspired me – then that is one of the greatest rewards this career could ever give me.
What do you do to unwind? Do you have any hobbies/unique skills or talents?
Outside of work, I am a huge animal advocate and love spending time with my own rescue pups. Animal rescue is something close to my heart, and I am fortunate to volunteer with the Blind Dog Rescue Alliance helping transport dogs along different legs of their journeys to foster families and, ultimately their fur-ever homes.
There is something incredibly rewarding about knowing that, for a few miles, I get to be a small part of changing an animal’s life. Every transport is a reminder that kindness does not have to be a grand gesture to make a difference. Sometimes it is simply giving your time, opening your car door, and helping an animal get one step closer to the safe and loving home they deserve.
Based on your professional experience, what is a common call type or complaint you handle in your position? What actions are taken in response and what programs are in place?
Through our involvement in TRIAD and conversations with community members at the Sheriff’s Senior Socials, we have heard many accounts of attempted scams targeting residents, particularly our senior population.
Sheriff McFaddin continually reminds residents that our office will never call you and demand payment over the phone; we do not accept payments for bail, bond, the magistrate, the jail or the courts. We will never tell you to pay with gift cards, prepaid cards, cryptocurrency or any unusual payment method.
Scammers often create a sense of fear and urgency, hoping someone will act before they have time to question what they are being told. If you receive a suspicious call, do not provide personal or financial information. Hang up and independently contact the appropriate agency to verify the information.
One of the most important things we can do through community outreach is educate our residents before they become victims. When in doubt, stop, hang up and verify.
How can we educate the public on their role in crime prevention in our community?
I believe that crime prevention starts early, with the youth in our community. Some of my favorite opportunities are going into schools for Story Time with a Deputy, serving as a mentor at kid’s camp, or simply offering a hello, a fist bump and a sticker to a child I meet in the community. Those interactions may seem small, but they can have a lasting impact on how a child views law enforcement and our role in their lives.
All too often, I will walk past a child and hear a parent say, “You better behave, or she will arrest you.” I always want to say, do not make us something your child should fear. I am not here to arrest your children. I want them to see the uniform and know that I am a helper – someone they can come to when they are scared, lost, hurt or in need of help.
Every positive interaction gives us an opportunity to build trust. When children know their deputies and officers as people who care about them, we create stronger relationships between law enforcement and the next generation. I truly believe that investing in today’s youth, encouraging them, listening to them and showing them that they matter is one of the most meaningful forms of crime prevention we can provide
