ROANOKE, Va. (WDBJ) – Police assigned to Zone 4, better known to most Roanoke citizens as Northwest, walked up and down streets around Melrose Park Thursday to meet with members of the community.
The monthly Chief’s Walk is an initiative begun by Chief Scott Booth, who believes getting “face time” with community members creates trust and will ultimately lead to better policing and safer communities.
Lieutenant Joel Patrick is in charge of Roanoke PD’s operations in Northwest. He said the walks are helpful because they allow police to meet the people they protect in a more personal way than just showing up when there’s a shooting or other crime…