Roanoke Police report shows increase in “use of force” incidents

ROANOKE, Virginia. – Roanoke police saw an increase in use-of-force incidents last year, while interactions with residents decreased.

According to the newly released Use of Force analysis report, officers used force against residents in 323 cases in 2023, compared to 241 cases in 2022.

The department notes that officers did not use force in 99.7 percent of their interactions with residents.

The term “use of force” is a general overview of various police tactics. According to the department’s use of force policy, “officers should use reasonable force when the force is used to achieve lawful ends while protecting the life of the officer or another person.”

The most common reason for police use of force was a suspect’s escape or resistance to arrest, the report said.

“The use of physical force continued to be the predominant use of force, indicating that officers were able to control the situation with the least amount of force necessary and had to resort to more severe use of force less often,” the report said. “However, despite the reduced number of citizen contacts, one cannot ignore the sharp increase in use of force across the department.”

Last year, 49 residents reported injuries after contact with police, most of which were minor. This is a decrease from 2022, when 54 people reported injuries.

According to the report, the police force has “undergone significant changes” in 2023, including “abrupt changes” in senior leadership.

In addition, Police Chief Scott Booth joined the department at the end of October.

The report suggests that long-term staff shortages have resulted in stressed and exhausted officers, “potentially leading to a higher likelihood of the use of force.”

According to the report, the agency will introduce new ICAT training starting this year to help officers de-escalate situations and reduce the likelihood of using force.