Roanoke City Sheriff’s Office partners with service teams to support individuals experiencing homelessness
Roanoke, Virginia – In a continued move toward more service-oriented public safety, the Roanoke City Sheriff’s Office recently collaborated with the Roanoke Homeless Assistance Team (HAT) to carry out a community outreach initiative targeting unsheltered homelessness in downtown Roanoke.
Building Trust Through Connection and Care
The outreach took place last week and involved deputies working directly alongside HAT, representatives from Veterans Affairs, and community volunteers. The effort focused not just on gathering data, but on building trust, offering resources, and ensuring the safety of individuals living without shelter.
In addition to engagement, teams distributed care packs that included food and hand warmers—small, immediate items designed to offer comfort and support during cold weather. These gestures represented a larger shared commitment: meeting people where they are while simultaneously pursuing long-term solutions.
While gathering information on the unsheltered population was part of the effort, the central focus was on care, dignity, and relationship-building. The Sheriff’s Office emphasized that these actions are rooted in a shared understanding among all involved groups: “the ultimate goal is the elimination of homelessness.”
The Sheriff’s Office emphasized that this outreach is not a one-time initiative, but part of a broader, ongoing mission to address homelessness with compassion.
Through quarterly outreach pop-up events and continued partnerships with service organizations, the Sheriff’s Office aims to ensure public safety, dignity, and support for some of Roanoke’s most vulnerable residents.
“Whether through continued quarterly unsheltered outreach pop-ups events or identifying additional opportunities for collaboration, the Sheriff’s Office remains committed to supporting community-driven solutions that prioritize dignity, safety, and service for our most vulnerable neighbors,” the office shared. “This is what excellence in service looks like.”
The partnership reflects a growing understanding that true public safety includes meeting basic human needs and fostering a city that prioritizes care alongside enforcement.
