A message from Chief Venuti: Safety for academic year 2018-2019
To the VCU and VCU Health Communities,
Safety is a core value at Virginia Commonwealth University and we all play a role in keeping our campuses safe.
With the return of more than 50,000 students, faculty and staff, the VCU Police Department is prepared to maintain a safe living, learning and working environment with you and for you.
Thank you to those of you who completed our annual safety survey this spring. We are pleased to report that 95.5% of respondents felt “safe” or “very safe” on VCU’s campuses. Through your comments, we learned that you’d like to see VCU Police officers on campus more frequently, as well as on the borders of campus. Officers patrol both campuses 24/7 and we have adjusted our assignments to accommodate your feedback.
With the addition of the GRTC and Pulse transportation options, we will have officers checking in at bus stops, riding buses and making more checks of parking facilities at all hours of the day. As in past years, I’ve asked Virginia State Police and the Richmond Police Department to drive through campuses for extra visibility.
Many of you will see new security guards in academic and residence halls. Over the summer, VCU signed a new security contract with R.M.C. Events to handle routine security responsibilities in 25 buildings. During final exams, police and R.M.C. Events will increase patrols at night as more students stay late to study.
For those living in the City of Richmond, and surrounding counties, please note that 911 systems were upgraded over the summer to receive text messages. Emergency personnel in these localities ask that you “call if you can, text if you can’t.” VCUPD is notified of emergencies on campus and will respond accordingly.
As always, we encourage everyone to sign up for VCU Alerts by clicking “Manage Emergency Alerts” in the myVCU portal. You can also download the free LiveSafe app, which lets you send texts directly to VCU Police at any time. Our dispatchers monitor these tips just like calls to our emergency line, (804) 828-1234. Both the GRTC and LiveSafe apps can be accessed through the VCU Mobile app.
Should you see anything suspicious on either campus, please let us know. We can only address the problems we know about, and you play a critical role in helping us address safety concerns that could impact everyone here.
Thank you for helping us keep VCU safe. We wish you all a safe and successful year.
Sincerely,
Chief John Venuti, VCU Police
Assistant Vice President for Public Safety
Categories 21st-Century University, Community, Health, News, Periodic update, To VCU