Richard Schott

Richard Schott is Fairfax County's first independent police auditor. He assumed the position in April 2017.

Schott has spent his entire 27-year FBI career as a special agent working with local law enforcement officers, and for the past 16 years has provided training to members of state and local law enforcement agencies, including legal issues associated with police officers’ use of force and deadly force.

He has extensive experience with Color of Law violations, including reviewing police reports and citizen complaints, recommending to U.S. Department of Justice attorneys whether or not to proceed with investigations and conducting the ensuing investigations.

Schott is also an instructor at the FBI Academy in Quantico, where he has taught thousands of new agents on basic constitutional criminal procedure and the legal ramifications involved when an agent uses force.

He was previously the associate division counsel for the Atlanta Division of the FBI, where he supervised the division’s forfeiture program. As a special agent for the Birmingham Division, he orchestrated security for the 1996 Summer Olympic Games’ soccer events in the area.

Schott has published 12 articles on various legal topics and is a member of the United States Supreme Court Bar and the International Association of Chiefs of Police. Schott is also an adjunct faculty member for the University of Virginia.

Schott received a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of New Orleans and his juris doctorate from the Loyola University School of Law in New Orleans.