ROANOKE, Va. (WDBJ) – The Roanoke Police Department is reflecting on a year of progress Monday under Chief Scott Booth, marking his first year on the job.

In his first year as chief of the Roanoke Police Department, Scott Booth says he has focused on combating gun violence, building community trust and modernizing police practices.

Reflecting on progress over the past year, Booth noted that while Roanoke has faced a difficult year with high rates of gun violence in the past, the department’s focused efforts have shown real impact.

“When you look at our gun violence numbers now compared to a year ago, last year was incredibly difficult for Roanoke with lives lost to gun violence,” Booth said.

Since then, Roanoke has seen a 65 percent decrease in fatal shootings and a 55 percent decrease in non-lethal gun violence. Booth says this progress is a combination of partnerships, accountability and long-term investment in community programs to address gun violence.

“Community policing gives you a solid foundation for how you communicate and how the public trusts you,” Booth said. “But you have to have really strong investigative techniques and the strategic allocation of resources that work together with that.”

An internal audit in 2023 revealed that the department faced communication and trust issues.

On Monday, Booth said they have strengthened as a team, approaching public safety with improved practices and tools.

He also says he is committed to transparency by releasing the names of officers involved in this year’s shootings as part of their duty to be open and accountable.

“We have the ability to take someone’s life and freedom away from them, that’s extraordinary, think about it. I think we have an obligation to be transparent with the general public,” Booth said.

Next, the department plans to build a real-time crime center, expand its taser program and train all officers in advanced de-escalation.

“We’re going to continue to refine the things that work here and we’re going to continue to evolve,” Booth said.

Chief Booth says these steps will help them build a safer and more reliable department as they move forward.

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