From the cover
New facility to boost Roanoke public safety
A closer look
Marking a milestone
Williams said the police department is a destina- tion location for many o cers from the area. As of Oct. 30, 55% of the department’s 40 police o cers were lateral hires, meaning they came from another town or city. “The o cers like where they work; they are treated well and compensated well,” Roanoke Public Engagement Manager Sandra Pettigrew said. “If they know an o cer who would be a great t, they’re recruiting for us.” While the department as a whole is considered a destination, the outdated building did not meet the organization’s needs, said Williams, who noted policing has changed in his 30-year career. When the police department formed in 1991, the city turned a former grocery store into the rst headquarters. Williams said it was planned to be temporary, but it lasted nearly 30 years. “The needs of what it takes to be a modern
police department did not t inside that building,” he said. The new facility was built to accommodate the growing department and features amenities that the department previously lacked. Williams noted the windows in the new facility, a feature not found in their previous space.
In his rst nine months on the job, Williams said he quickly learned how to manage his sta in an undersized workspace. Since being named chief in December 2024, he said he’s had many of the command sta huddled behind him, looking at a computer monitor for a meeting. “Just in my little time here, we’re moving one person from this o ce to squeeze two people in,” he said. “It’s a constant chess game trying to make everything t.” Sta will now have a larger space. The facility was funded through the Crime Control & Prevention District sales tax allocation that Roanoke voters approved in May 2022. The half-cent sales tax went toward this project and will fund ongoing operations in the future.
New additions
5,000 square-foot workout area 1 juvenile detention holding cell
46,000 square feet in new location, versus 17,105 square feet at previous location 2 private interview spaces for interviews/police report ling
3 captain o ces
SOURCE: CITY OF ROANOKE COMMUNITY IMPACT
Founded in 1881, Roanoke didn’t form a police department for another century.
The breakdown
1991: Roanoke Police Department is established at the old city hall 2002: Department moves to 609 Dallas Drive 2022: Voters approve a half-cent sales tax for funding for a police station 2023: Groundbreaking for the new police station Oct. 2025: Communication/911 dispatchers moved to new facility Nov. 6, 2025: Ribbon-cutting for the new police department
The Roanoke Police Department’s most common calls during the past four years have been for
alarm and tra c issues, such as car accidents and vehicle checks.
Alarm Reckless driver Top police calls in Roanoke 2022 25 Minor accident
Suspicious vehicle Motor assist
2025 2024 2023 2022
SOURCE: CITY OF ROANOKE COMMUNITY IMPACT
0
200
400
600
800 1,000 1,200 1,400 1,600
SOURCES: CITY OF ROANOKE, ROANOKE POLICE DEPARTMENT COMMUNITY IMPACT
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