June 21, 2013

VCU Police Honored for Work to Promote Transportation Safety

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By Michael Kelly

The Virginia Commonwealth University Police Department is a recipient of a 2013 Governor’s Transportation Safety Award for its contributions to transportation safety in Virginia.

The department received its first-ever award in the law enforcement category, which commends personnel and departments taking extra initiative to promote and encourage safety in their community. In a ceremony Thursday at the Capitol, Department of Motor Vehicles Commissioner Richard Holcomb and House of Delegates Transportation Committee Chairman Delegate Joe May presented the award to Chief John Venuti, Capt. Sean Ingram and Lt. Leonard Dilligard, who organized the department’s submission for the award.

“VCU has been doing a great job in the area of pedestrian and traffic safety both on and around campus,” said Venuti. “This prestigious award recognizes both our hard work and our commitment to overall safety at VCU.”

The department was recognized for its numerous programs and events in 2012 to ensure drivers, bicyclists and pedestrians travel safely around campus. These included enhanced enforcement of red light compliance at busy intersections, speed enforcement by radar, bicyclist and pedestrian safety programs, programs to combat drunken and impaired driving and seat belt enforcement campaigns.

VCU Police also participated in statewide and national transportation safety initiatives, including Distracted Driving Awareness Month, the Click It or Ticket campaign and the Mothers Against Drunk Driving Walk-a-thon to raise money for transportation safety programs.

Because of the large number of pedestrians around campus, VCU Police aggressively enforces laws prohibiting drunken and impaired driving. As of May 30, VCU Police had made 179 DUI arrests, a 22.6 percent increase from the same point in the previous academic year. As of mid-March, only 8 percent of those arrests involved VCU students.

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