Welcome to Roanoke Valley Field Notes, a collection of news and miscellaneous notes from the past week in the valley and a look ahead at what’s happening next week. Here’s my last edition if you missed it.
This week’s includes a Roanoke crime number update and the details of a debate just days before Roanoke’s Democratic city council primary.
As always, email me at samantha@cardinalnews.org to share your thoughts, ideas, questions and concerns.
Roanoke police chief: Crime down 19% this year so far, violent crime in downtown down 60%
Crime rates dropped in almost every category up to June 2026, compared to the same period in 2025, Roanoke City Police Chief Scott Booth told reporters during a press briefing at the police station on Wednesday.
Looking at data spanning from January until June of this year, compared to that period last year, total crime has dropped 19%, he said.
Violent crime overall has dropped 13%, and property crimes decreased by 20%. Violent crime in the downtown region has dropped by 60% year over year into June.
Homicide incidents decreased by 40% this year, and traffic fatalities fell, too — Special Operations Captain Chris Ramey said the city experienced four traffic fatalities year-to-date, down from nine last year, which he said an increase in staffing helped.
Motor vehicle theft decreased by 44% citywide year over year to this point, Booth said. Captain Eric Thiel with the Criminal Investigations Bureau said that is partially attributable to focused attention on offenders, who he said often steal multiple vehicles and “continue that activity until caught.”
Booth also said the city has hired a new youth and gang violence prevention coordinator, who will start in their role in the next couple of weeks — a role that has sat vacant for months. Booth did not name the new coordinator and said he’ll share more details soon.
“We’re coming in [on] three years of crime reduction. I think that every day is game day when there’s a homicide in our community,” Booth said. “… So we’ll just stay focused. It’s not always about something new each day or every quarter, it’s really about staying focused on what’s working for our community.”
Roanoke Democratic Committee to host debate
Thursday night, the city’s Democratic Committee will host a debate for the party’s five candidates running for three nominations in an Aug. 4 city council primary. Those candidates are: incumbents Vivian Sanchez-Jones and Peter Volosin, and newcomers Harvey Brookins, Danny Clawson and Raekwon Moore.
The candidates will be available to chat with attendees during a 5:30 p.m. reception before the debate, which will start at 7 p.m. at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Roanoke, 2015 Grandin Road S.W. Polly’s Soul Food Kitchen food truck will be on-site, and also opens at 5:30 p.m. for pre-debate fuel.
Virginia 811 ups game to promote safe digging
Virginia 811, based in Roanoke, has introduced a free augmented reality experience to show why it’s worth a phone call before digging into the ground.
Virginia 811 works to connect excavators and utility operators to protect underground utility lines and promote “safe excavation practices,” according to a recent press release.
The organization is partnering with similar organizations in Texas and Michigan to create the new tool, Underline Quest, an app that takes players through scenarios such as investigating utility damages, identifying causes to damage, and answering questions about safety tips to protect utility infrastructure, according to the release.
“Underline Quest helps bring visibility to something most people never see — the underground infrastructure that supports our daily lives,” Scott Crawford, president and chief executive officer of Virginia 811, said in the release. “By creating an interactive experience, we can help more people understand why contacting 811 before digging is such an important step.”
The app is available for free on the App Store and Google Play. More information about Underline Quest can be found here.
Vinton receives funding for new welcome mural
The town of Vinton has received its first grant award from the Virginia Commission for the Arts to fund a new “Welcome to Vinton Railroad Bridge Mural” that will go on the underpass of two Norfolk Southern railroad bridges located at gateway entrances to Vinton.
The $3,500 Community Impact Grant funds art-based projects or services that “reach and impact communities with high-quality creative arts programming,” according to a town press release.
The first project will be completed at the town limits on Dale Avenue, and the second will be at Walnut Avenue.
What the mural might look like was not disclosed in the release, as Vinton is still awaiting approval of the mural design and permitting for the project from Norfolk Southern.
Jill Loope, special projects assistant to the town manager, said this is an opportunity to “improve the appearance of existing railway infrastructure” and to create a visual that reflects “the town’s character, history and sense of place.”
The project is expected to be completed by June 1, 2027.
Meetings next week:
Salem City Council will meet at 6:30 p.m. July 27. The meeting agenda can be found here.
The Botetourt County Board of Supervisors will meet at 2 p.m. July 28. Once posted, the agenda can be found here.
