n LOUDOUN
4 | n LEESBURG
10 | n PUBLIC SAFETY
18 | n PUBLIC NOTICES
27
Community-Supported News. Free to all.
VOL. 10, NO. 29
MAY 29, 2025
Community Clashes with Sheriff’s Office Over Increased Traffic Stops BY HANNA PAMPALONI
hpampaloni@loudounnow.org
Community members are raising concerns over the increasing number of traffic stops conducted by Loudoun County Sheriff ’s Office deputies, saying they are signs of racial profiling by the agency. However, the agency is pushing back saying they are a sign of efficient policing. A recent report by Sheriff Mike Chapman shows that the number of traffic stops conducted between Jan. 1 and March 31 totaled 7,088. New Virginia Majority, a political advocacy group, raised concerns that that number had risen by 65% over last year’s first quarter total of 4,290 traffic stops. NVM Campaign Director Sofia Saiyed said the stops are “pretextual” and that the Sheriff ’s Office is “practicing racial discrimination to target the immigrant community and funnel them into the deportation pipeline” in a May 19 press release. Gathering at the May 20 Board of Supervisors meeting, residents reiterTRAFFIC STOPS continues on page 38
Norman K. Styer/Loudoun Now
Once the dominant force in local retail, malls like the Dulles Town Center are undergoing transformations built around experiential offerings.
Right-Sizing Retail
Economic Development Leaders Eye the Future of Shopping Local BY NORMAN K. STYER nstyer@loudounnow.org
Loudoun’s Department of Economic Development is taking a deeper dive into the county’s retail industry, releasing the
first post-pandemic analysis and dedicating more staff to support the market segment. The results are surprising—and not. In a county that boasts the nation’s highest median household incomes, retail
spending is below the national average on a per-square-foot basis. In short, Loudoun has too much retail space for its market. LOCAL RETAIL continues on page 38
ECRWSSEDDM Permit #1374 Merrifield VA
PAID
PRESRT STD U.S. Postage