Roanoke Crime Numbers Continue Downward Trend

Crime RatesRoanoke is a safe place to live, work and play. That was the message that Police Chief Chris Perkins delivered to Roanoke City Council at a briefing earlier this month.

In his final presentation to council before retiring, Chief Perkins credited Geographical Policing for the 64.5 percent drop in violent crime, the 39.9 percent drop in property crime, and the 42.7 percent drop in total crime since 2005.

The Geographic Policing Model is a spatially specific, proactive, decentralized approach, designed to reduce crime, disorder, and fear of crime, by intensively involving the same officer in the same community on a long-term basis, so that citizens develop trust, enhancing cooperation with police officers.

The concept involves collaboration, communication, and accountability. Geographic policing’s organizational strategy demands that everyone in the department, including both sworn and civilian personnel, must investigate ways to translate the philosophy into practice. Geographic policing also implies a shift within the department that grants greater autonomy to line officers, which implies enhanced respect for their judgment as police professionals.

The five-year numbers are also down:

Violent crime is down 47.9 percent.

Property crime is down 23.3 percent.

Total crime is down 25.8 percent.

Comparing the numbers from 2014, crime has decreased 8.35 percent.

Since 2013, crime has decreased 17.9 percent.

“Over the last few years, a great synergy has developed in Roanoke, but it will require the cooperation, collaboration and communication from all to achieve the most out of our efforts to keep Roanoke safe,” said Chief Perkins.

Perkins will retire as chief on March 1. A permanent replacement isn’t expected to be named until later in the year.

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