ROANOKE, Va. (WFXR) — Despite some concern that violent crime has spiked in the City of Roanoke through the early stages of 2026, the Roanoke Police Department says its crime data tells a different story.
“In terms of the specific numbers, we are really right where we were last year,” said RPD Criminal Investigation Bureau Captain Eric Thiel. “But I would certainly emphasize the point that one is too many for us. Our end goal, obviously, is to have the safest place possible for people to live.”
From January 1 to February 16, RPD had investigated four violent gun-related incidents, down from six over the same span in 2025…