In our monthy Q&A series, Scott Booth sat down with The Roanoke Rambler to answer questions about the city’s crime numbers – and he didn’t duck others.
Roanoke’s four quadrants reveal a deep and persistent divide. The city’s legacy of segregation continues to cast a long shadow, with access to education, job opportunities and even life expectancy varying widely depending on Zip code.
In our recurring Q&A series, The Rambler invites members of the community to reflect on what it means to live in a city shaped by a history of division. By sharing perspectives across generations, backgrounds and quadrants, we hope to spark honest conversations that are too often left unspoken.
This month’s interview features Roanoke Police Chief Scott Booth, who joined the department in 2023 during a record-breaking year for fatal shootings. Gun violence sharply declined since Booth’s arrival, a trend he attributes to an increased focus on community policing, a philosophy that emphasizes collaboration and trust-building between law enforcement and citizens…