ROANOKE, Va. (WFXR) – Law enforcement leaders are recognized for advancing evidence-based policing through research, innovation, and implementation of data-driven practices within their respective agencies. The Roanoke Police Department is one of those agencies.
Roanoke Police Department (RPD) Chief of Police Scott C. Booth implements his evidence-based police strategies in both Danville and Roanoke. This landed him a seat as an inductee to the Evidence-Based Policing Hall of Fame at the George Mason University College of Humanities and Social Sciences Center for Evidence-Based Crime Policy.
According to RPD, Booth’s approach led to significantly less crime. Since 2018, he has shifted both Danville and Roanoke’s policing to be more evidence-based. This helped improve police-community relationships and reduced violent crime numbers by 52 percent.
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RPD says, “Through the implementation of Stratified Policing, Booth transitioned these departments from a reactive, call-driven model to one focused on proactive crime reduction, accountability, and community partnerships. The strategy emphasizes problem-solving and place-based, person-focused and community-based policing practices.”…