ROANOKE, Va. – The Roanoke City Police Department has ramped up its presence in the downtown area with the launch of the “Downtown Safety and Visibility Enhancement Plan,” a new initiative aimed at addressing safety concerns from local residents and business owners. The plan, which went into effect in the past few weeks, is already receiving praise from the community.
Betsy Burton, a resident who also works downtown at Ladles & Linens Kitchen Shoppe and the Six and Sky Rooftop Grille, said the increased police presence has made a noticeable difference for her and others.
“It’s really important to me to feel safe,” Burton said. “I’m a single, younger woman, and I really appreciate knowing that I can get to and from very safely, very easily.”
Burton noted that seeing officers on bicycles and in patrol vehicles has made her feel more comfortable, particularly when walking from her restaurant job to her downtown loft late at night. She added that it’s also crucial for businesses, especially with the holiday shopping season approaching, for people to feel safe when they visit the downtown area.
“We want people to feel safe when they come downtown to shop,” Burton said.
Capt. Jennifer Boswell, with the Roanoke Police Department’s Community Response Bureau, said the plan adds two full-time officers to patrol the downtown area during the day.
“We wanted the good guys and the bad guys, right, to know that we’re downtown,” Boswell said.
The move comes in response to concerns from both businesses and residents about issues such as parking, littering, loitering, and the impact of the city’s homeless population.
“People sleeping in front of door fronts, that deters people coming in[to a business] or they think it’s closed because someone is sleeping there. You’re not supposed to sit on the tables downtown,” said Boswell of some of the concerns expressed to the department. “I tell people, there’s a lot of uncomfortableness. But sometimes it’s more uncomfortable than criminal.”
She added that the department is working alongside other city departments—like Public Works, Code Enforcement, and the Homeless Assistance Team—as well as nonprofits such as the Rescue Mission to address underlying social issues like food insecurity, housing, and employment.
“Is that a police issue? No,” said Boswell. “We’re more for crime. And we can’t always arrest the problem away. We don’t want to arrest the problem away. We want to see true growth, you know, with people who need things.”
The department plans to assign additional officers to continue patrolling downtown and is encouraging members of the community to share their concerns, comments, or appreciation by emailing RPDresources@roanokeva.gov.