Campus safety organization lauds VCU Police for innovative and effective strategies

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The International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators has selected VCU Police as its current agency highlight, sharing VCU Police’s innovative strategies to promote safety on urban campuses with their more than 1,200 member schools in 20 countries.

In the Fall 2013 semester, VCU Police put these strategies into action as it placed more officers on the street, upgraded the capabilities of its officers and integrated new technology to promote safety and security.

Fifteen new officers working three realigned shifts has made officers more visible in the core campus during the times they are most likely to prevent crime and provided a presence when the community most wants to see officers on patrol.

Bicycle patrols have been expanded in response to community feedback.

A full-time victim/witness relations officer has improved the department’s customer service experience and a designated external relations officer is helping to maintain good relationships in the communities surrounding the university.

“We’re trying to become fast and flexible with identifying issues and problems before they become trends,” said John Venuti, VCU chief of police and assistant vice president for public safety. “I think in order to do that you have to have the infrastructure in place to support all of that follow up and reaction. We want to be an agency that is fast, flexible and responsive and not back on our heels.”

By numerous metrics, the department’s “all-out community policing” model proved successful in the fall semester. The semester saw a 36 percent reduction in robberies in the VCU Police jurisdiction compared to Fall 2012.

The department’s perception of safety survey, issued in the spring and fall semester of each academic year, showed VCU Police has successfully maintained the community’s feeling of safety and security on campus, with 92.6 percent saying they feel either “safe” or “very safe” on both campuses.

“I’m thrilled to see the decrease in robberies and I think it’s a positive trend, but just a police department alone can’t reduce robberies,” Venuti said. “Every time people in this community pick up the phone and call the police, send us a tip when they see something that looks suspicious, all that stuff is really, really important.”

The technological upgrades pursued by the department and university helped promote safety and solve crimes throughout campus. The university’s upgraded camera security system has provided materially valuable information in more than 50 cases, resulting in more than 40 arrests and more than 75 charges including robbery, burglary, bicycle thefts, computer thefts and auto accidents, nearly all of which involved perpetrators unaffiliated with the university.

The introduction of the LiveSafe app has created yet another means of connection between the VCU community and their police department. The mobile app, available for both iPhones and Android devices, allows users to easily transmit tips about suspicious or unsafe situations or crimes occurring on campus. It also allows the VCU Police to easily share information about crimes that have occurred on campus, safety tips and other important notifications. To date, nearly 4,000 members of the VCU community have downloaded LiveSafe.

VCU also became the first school in the nation to utilize PrtySmrt, a web-based service that gives party hosts within VCU Police jurisdiction the tools and opportunity to regulate their own events without pulling officers off the street to respond to simple noise complaints. The program, which was developed by Venuti, allows registered hosts to receive a text message when a noise complaint is received rather than a knock on the door and a visit from police. The service has been well received by both students and neighbors surrounding VCU’s campuses.  

As the spring semester begins, VCU Police is preparing to hire at least 10 new officers and train them in the department’s in-house academy, the only such program operated by a campus law enforcement agency in Virginia. This will bring the department closer to its full staffing number of 92 sworn officers.

Larceny prevention will be a top priority in the spring, as property crimes such as theft remain the most reported crime at VCU, as with most college campuses. VCU Police noticed a serious spike this semester in the theft of electronics, most of which were left unattended, and bikes, most of which were unsecured or locked with cheap cable locks that were easily cut.

Venuti says that while VCU Police works to prevent theft and recover stolen items, the most effective defense is for individuals to take responsibility for their items and keep them secure at all times.

“Anything that students have that is of value, they need to take steps and measures to protect it and not leave items unattended,” Venuti said. “The value of electronic devices and the ability to trade them in and sell them means they’re like cash. When you have something that is so easy to convert to cash you’re going to see issues with that property being taken. But if it’s not left it out, people can’t take it.”

As the second semester begins, VCU Police will hold several events on campus to discuss safety issues with students and to register laptops and bicycles, two of the most commonly stolen items of value. Registration is free and voluntary, but it can be a great tool for helping VCU Police recover items if they are reported stolen. Officers will also allow students to trade insufficient cable locks for sturdy U-Locks to combat bicycle theft.

Dates and times include:

Computer/Bike Registration and U-Lock exchange

Monday, Jan. 13, 2014, Rhoads and Brandt Lobby from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2014, Larrick Student Center from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

ThursdayJan, 16, 2014, Johnson Hall from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.