ROANOKE, Va. – The Roanoke Police Department saw an increase in ‘use of force’ incidents last year, while the number of interactions with residents went down.
Officers used force against residents in 323 situations in 2023, up from 241 in 2022, according to the newly released ‘Use of Force’ Analysis Report.
The department notes officers did not use force in 99.7 percent of their interactions with residents.
The phrase ‘use of force’ is a broad overview of different police tactics. According to the department’s Use of Force Policy, “personnel shall use reasonable force when force is used to accomplish lawful objectives, while protecting the lives of the officer or another person.”
The most common reason police used force was because a suspect was fleeing or resisting arrest, the report says.
“The use of physical force remained the overwhelming type of force used, indicating that officers were able to gain control of the situation at the lowest level of force needed and were less likely to have to escalate to a more severe type of force,” the report says. “However, it is impossible to ignore the sharp increase in uses of force throughout the department despite fewer citizen contacts.”
Last year, 49 residents reported injuries, most of which were minor, after interactions with police. It’s a decrease from 2022 when 54 people reported injuries.
The report says the police force “underwent significant transformation” in 2023, including “abrupt changes” in top leadership.
Also, Police Chief Scott Booth joined the department in late October.
The report suggested long-term staffing shortages have resulted in stressed and fatigued officers, “potentially leading to a higher likelihood of the use of force.”
The report says that beginning this year, the agency will implement new ICAT training aimed at helping officers de-escalate situations and reduce the likelihood of using force.