LAW ENFORCEMENT

City leaders and law enforcement held a groundbreaking ceremony Friday morning for the new headquarters.

A Roanoke survivor of sexual assault is using her traumatizing experience to connect with and serve other victims of sexual assault and human trafficking through her non-profit, The Lampstand.

On Thursday, Roanoke County Chief of Police Howard Hall announced that his retirement will be effective on Jan. 1, 2023.

The Lynchburg Police Department is hosting a special academy, but not for recruits.

Lynchburg City Council and the School Board held a joint meeting and discussed a feasible and affordable master plan for the entire district.

One step at a time, Danville Police officers continue to build relationships with their community by hosting engagement neighborhood walks.

In their current space, workstations are on top of one another, visitors have to sit on a narrow bench in a tight hallway, the locker room barely fits two officers, and there are no weight rooms or showers.

City officials said that the survey is an effort to determine the effectiveness of E-911 services provided to citizens.

Making the Roanoke City Jail a place of transformation – on Tuesday, the Roanoke City Sheriff unveiled a new program he hopes can do just that.

Amherst County Public Schools will see more school resource officers soon, thanks to a ruling by the Amherst County Board of Supervisors.

The Lynchburg Police Department is looking to cast a line and reel in a better relationship with the community by hosting its first-ever fishing event.

A man has been arrested after assaulting a police officer, stealing the patrol car, and crashing, the Roanoke Police Department said.

After seven years of planning and construction, Danville police are finally moving into their new headquarters.

The attorney general wants his office to have a strong relationship with law enforcement throughout the commonwealth.

A woman has been arrested after assaulting a deputy in Campbell County, the Campbell County Sheriff’s Office said.

A solid relationship between neighborhoods and public safety agencies is critical to maintaining a safe and healthy community, and National Night Out emphasizes just that.

Here’s where you can find National Night Out events near you this year.

On Friday, the Radford City Police Department said they’ve been participating in active threat trainings throughout July, with more coming up soon.

Around 97 deputies will be eligible for the increases, costing, in total, $121,270, and an additional $50,044 in local funds were needed from the Reserve to fund those increases.

On Wednesday around 3:41 p.m., the Campbell County Sheriff’s Office said they responded to Maragon Lane in Evington for a person’s check.

Virginia State Police is warning residents of phone scams targeting sex offenders in the area.

The organization surpassed its goal, bringing 57 people in to donate.

To help, Roanoke City leaders are adopting an approach used in Chicago. Commission Chairman Joe Cobb said it’s called “Operation Pinpoint.”

John Lynch Lodge #34 of the Fraternal Order of Police will be hosting a blood drive on July 20, 2022.

He served as Sheriff for over 30 years in the City of Salem

10 News wants to warn you that you may find some of this video disturbing. WSLS believes it is important to show the video because the events of that day have been under intense scrutiny. WSLS has chosen not to air or publish the story with the audio due to the sensitivity of this – but it is available through a number of other outlets if you wish to view it in its entirety.

As part of its 90th-anniversary celebrations, Advance Auto Parts gifted Roanoke Police and Fire departments with $2,500 of gift cards to increase community safety.

The Botetourt County Sheriff’s is giving its patrol cars a new, or rather old, look – They are introducing a new black and white patrol fleet.

The $16 million, 37,000 square-foot facility located in Downtown Blacksburg is just blocks from the previous station.

Governor Glenn Youngkin signed Bill Senate Bill 327 and it is expected to help improve community relations between police and the public.

Governor Glenn Youngkin is amending a controversial bill that could lift a partial ban on facial recognition technology in Virginia.

Captain Ronnie Lewis will become Bedford’s thirteenth police chief in nearly a century.

The tragic event is a somber reminder of the daily dangers facing those who work in public safety.

If all goes according to plan, the pay raises could be here in July.

Governor Ralph Northam announced today on his Thank You, Virginia Tour that his two-year state budget will include an investment of more than a $223 million in public safety.

At Help Desk, we tackle your most pressing personal technology questions, starting with an Apple Watch for falls and downing invading drones.

Active Bystandership for Law Enforcement is implemented in more than 175 police and sheriff departments across the country.

Communities across the country, and right here in our area gathered for National Night Out on Tuesday.

Bedford County Sheriff Mike Miller says they’re always looking for more Chaplains

Police Chief Ryan Zuidema says while these eight graduates help a staffing shortage, LPD is still short 16 officers.

Facing pressure to reduce skyrocketing Chicago violence, Mayor Lori Lightfoot on Friday said her administration will focus this summer on 15 police beats that she said account for a major chunk of the city’s street crime. Police will work in these areas but the city also will team up with community groups, libraries, and other providers to mentor young people as part of Lightfoot’s summer strategy, mirroring her administration’s previous approach to Chicago violence. The beats are largely concentrated on the South and West Sides, ranging from Austin, North Lawndale and West Humboldt Park to South Chicago, Roseland and Auburn Gresham.

One Community, One Voice hosted the prayer vigil Wednesday at Lynchburg’s Monument Terrace, which included faith and city leaders and the police department.

Police departments nationwide are struggling with staffing and now Roanoke's top cop says they're losing officers at an alarming rate.

Virginia’s NAACP state chapter is launching a campaign to end qualified immunity in the Commonwealth.

Law enforcement from across the Commonwealth were in Lynchburg to learn a new philosophy from Justice 3D Consulting. Mark Mackizer, co-owner and retired FBI special agent, said the training goes against traditional modules of interviewing suspects.

SALEM, Va. – If you’re walking the halls of Andrew Lewis Middle School, you’ll find a friendly face: Officer David Goodman. He’s been a school resource officer there for the past three years, following in his dad’s footsteps who also worked for the Salem Police Department. But Goodman’s making a name for himself as Salem’s 2020 Officer of the Year. Principal Jamie Garst said Goodman redefines what school resource officers should be. “We can teach them to be good officers, we can’t teach them to be good people,” said Crawley.

Local law enforcement cleared the mall to resume business, though some retailers decided to close for the remainder of the day, and have certified that there is no present or immediate danger to the public, the statement said.

BEDFORD COUNTY, Va. – The Bedford County Sheriff’s Office is taking another step in protecting the community and its deputies. It can now apply for a grant to purchase 15 new body cameras, after getting approval from the Bedford County Board of Supervisors on Monday. The Sheriff’s Office currently has about 70 cameras, but this will replace those that are worn out and take months to repair. The technology is used whenever a deputy is out of a patrol car and helps assure transparency. The $10,000 grant also requires a 50% match from the Sheriff’s Office.

AMHERST COUNTY, Va. – Amherst County leaders are urging Virginia lawmakers to protect qualified immunity for law enforcement. The Board of Supervisors issued a letter to express opposition against House bill 2045, which would make officers personally liable for any damages and fees. Dean Rodgers, the county’s administrator, says the existing law already promotes accountability, allowing prosecutions and civil lawsuits to move forward. “If you’re outside the scope of your employment; if you’re doing something that you weren’t taught, trained, advised, managed to do, then you’re on your own,” said Rodgers. Rodgers says the bill would also force localities to pay higher insurance costs and make it harder for them to recruit law enforcement.

PULASKI, Va. – The Pulaski County Sheriff’s Office mourned one of their own on Sunday. Sergeant Perry Hodge, a well-known school resource officer in Pulaski County, was killed early Thursday when his truck was hit head-on while driving on Route 11 near Dublin. Deputies paid tribute to Hodge with a group ride from the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Office to the funeral. Pulaski-based motorcycle club Faith Ryders stopped to pray at the Route 11 memorial before the funeral. Pulaski County Sheriff's OfficeCharges are pending against the other driver, 26-year-old Michael Morris of Pulaski.

The town hired familiar faces to replace the outgoing town manager and police chief. Assistant town manager Pete Peters takes over as Vinton’s town manager, and deputy police chief Fabricio Drumond is now the town’s head of law enforcement. Peters had been assistant town manager for five years. He had served as interim town manager since his predecessor, Barry Thompson, announced his retirement. He replaces former police chief Thomas Foster, who became the United States Marshal for the Western District of Virginia.

ROANOKE COUNTY, Va. – Roanoke County leaders are springing into action as the police department deals with record shortages. “26 is darn close to 20% of our workforce out in a year and you know we still have another five weeks left of the year,” Roanoke County Police Chief Howard Hall said. When it comes to starting pay, Roanoke County isn’t far off from others in our area, at $39,221. The table below shows how Roanoke County compares to some other localities in the region:Locality Starting Officer Salary Radford $42,555 Montgomery County $40,800 Lynchburg $40,019 Roanoke County $39,221 Roanoke City $38,639.75 Danville $36,812 Franklin County About $36,000 Bedford County $34,641It’s the pay beyond that starting salary holding Roanoke County leaders back. Hall said they should have a proposal for a new pay scale soon.

CAMPBELL COUNTY, Va. – Family, friends and Campbell County law enforcement officials gathered at Rustburg High School Friday to recognize 40 people who, according to Sheriff Whit Clark, have gone out of their way for the community. “Every single day they come to work to serve the citizens of Campbell County. One of them was Deputy Brian Davis, who retired from the department after seven years. Davis started in Campbell County elementary schools following the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary in Connecticut. He said after that mass shooting, protecting the lives of thousands of Campbell County students meant even more to him.

A new law would limit what offenses police officers could pull people over for. Law enforcement agencies and race and inequality experts have mixed reactions. The bill passed by the Virginia General Assembly stops law enforcement officers from stopping or searching anyone solely based upon the odor of marijuana. Law enforcement has no interest in doing something like that," said Ramsey. The governor has to sign the bill by Wednesday night or he can recommend changes and send it back to the General Assembly.

Key law enforcement officials are working around the clock and around San Francisco's Levi's Stadium to make sure Sunday's big game is safe. Michelle Miller spoke with Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson about Super Bowl security.

American law enforcement officials have been warned of a possible ISIS terror plot against the U.S. military and law enforcement facilities. Jeff Pegues reports on the developments.

FBI warns U.S. law enforcement to be vigilant Following the two hostage crises in France, the FBI is warning American law enforcement to be alert. U.S. officials are studying the attack in France, as it has every terrorist strike since 9/11. Jeff Pegues reports.