Murray “Jay” Farr was appointed chief of police of the Arlington County Police Department on May 14. Farr has served as the acting chief of police since the retirement of M. Douglas Scott on March 20.
Farr has served in the department since 1990 is deputy chief of police for systems management, operations and criminal investigations. He has also served as Arlington County acting deputy county manager.
Prior to joining the department, Farr worked with the Naval Criminal Investigative Service where he conducted criminal investigations concerning fraud against the U.S. government. Farr is also a U.S. Marine veteran, where he served with the Presidential helicopter unit.
Farr earned his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from George Mason University and he has undertaken study in a number of educational programs, including Naval Postgraduate School Center for Homeland Defense and Security, FBI National Academy, and Senior Institute for Police Management–Boston College in conjunction with John F. Kennedy School of Business Management, Harvard University. Additionally, Farr is enrolled in the Certified Public Manager’s program at George Mason University. He is a graduate of Leadership Arlington.
Currently, Farr is an adjunct professor at George Mason University, where he teaches a curriculum of criminal justice and emergency management for law enforcement; he also teaches at University of Phoenix.