ROANOKE, Va. – The City of Roanoke announced on Monday that they are in the process of removing installed Raven Shot Detection devices after over a dozen sensors were installed in incorrect locations.
After the discovery of 30 improperly installed devices, further installation was halted in June. An investigation was then ordered by Roanoke City Manager Valmarie Turner, who said data entry errors resulted in incorrect and misspelled addresses.
Turner said that 80% of the installed devices have now been removed, the sensors are inactive and it is anticipated that all of the devices will be removed by the end of the week.
“Unfortunately, a preventable city process failure resulted in a rollout that fueled distrust about our use of public safety technology and entangled the city of Roanoke in the larger national privacy debate.”
Roanoke City Manager Valmarie Turner
“To see this unfortunate rollout occur and the problems connected with it is extremely disappointing to all of us. Based on the findings of the City administration, we acknowledge that a human error was made, and that appropriate action has been taken. And we also know that there was a process in place for this not to have happened, but it did.”
Roanoke City Mayor Joe Cobb
“This unfortunate process error has damaged public trust, and I am working to rebuild it through accountability, corrective action, transparency and stronger controls.”
Roanoke City Manager Valmarie Turner
An ordinance was put forward to repeal the initial April 20, 2026, ordinance that approved the installation of Raven Shot Detection devices. The new ordinance was approved on Monday afternoon.