VCU news

By Corey Byers

The Virginia Commonwealth University Police Department has earned full accreditation from the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators for the third time since 2014.

In January 2023, an assessment team of staff from other campus law enforcement agencies nationwide reviewed the VCU department’s operations, policies and procedures to ensure full compliance with IACLEA’s 227 professional standards. Accreditation includes five components: candidacy, self-assessment, on-site assessment, commission review and award, and maintain compliance.

As part of the extensive on-site process, sworn and civilian staff members provided hundreds of working examples from 2019 to 2022 to show how VCU Police met or exceeded standards.

The department was formally awarded accreditation at IACLEA’s annual conference in June. The association awards accreditation to agencies for four-year terms.

“Earning accreditation is a testament to how the agency continuously makes best practices a priority,” said John Venuti, VCU’s chief of police and associate vice president for public safety.

“Every single aspect of our operations – from call-taking to patrolling, investigations, training, communications and planning for major events – was under review. I’m proud of the staff and the work we’ve done to show VCU, and the Greater Richmond community, that we are committed to policing in ways that are routinely meeting international standards.”

IACLEA includes members from more than 1,000 campus law enforcement agencies at colleges and universities in 14 countries. Accreditation by the organization is considered the gold standard for campus law enforcement agencies and is a recognition of professional excellence.

VCU Police is one of three university police departments in Virginia currently accredited by IACLEA. Police departments at the University of Richmond and Virginia Tech are also accredited.