Prince William County has made it official—Dr. Tauheeda Yasin is now the Director of the Office of Community Safety. She’s been leading the department in an acting role since January, and now the county has confirmed her as the permanent head following a national search.
Yasin’s appointment comes at a time when the county is ramping up efforts to address public safety with a more holistic, community-driven lens. Since joining the Office of Community Safety, she’s been instrumental in shaping initiatives that go beyond traditional law enforcement—coordinating across public health, police, social services, and hospitals to take on issues like community violence head-on.
Yasin played a key role in launching the county’s Community Violence Intervention and Hospital-Based Violence Intervention programs. These aim to interrupt cycles of violence by working with people most at risk, often connecting them with services and support instead of relying solely on punitive measures.
As director, her responsibilities are wide-ranging—everything from pulling together data dashboards to guide policy, to leading strategic planning that’s focused on long-term safety and resilience. A major part of her mission is to keep community voices central, making sure people feel heard and supported, not just policed.
County Executive Chris Shorter called Yasin a strong mix of academic, strategic, and grassroots experience. “Her deep commitment to collaborative, data-informed approaches to public safety has already made a meaningful impact in Prince William County,” he said.
Yasin said she’s ready to dig in. “Together, we have an opportunity to build a more connected community where every resident feels safe, heard, and supported,” she said. “I look forward to deepening our ecosystem-wide approach to safety… for long-term solutions that strengthen community resilience and well-being.”
Her background includes research and teaching roles at George Mason University and Northern Virginia Community College, leadership at the World Bank Group, and field work with the Network for Empowered Aid Response. She also served as a postdoc fellow at the University of Texas at Austin, where she led judicial mapping and safety coordination efforts statewide.
Yasin holds degrees from Sarah Lawrence College, Long Island University, and a Ph.D. from George Mason. On top of all that, she volunteers with the Buckhall Volunteer Fire Department and teaches at GMU’s Schar School of Policy and Government.
With Yasin now officially at the helm, the county seems poised to continue pushing a model of public safety that listens first—and acts with a plan.