VCU news

By Corey Byers

The Virginia Commonwealth University Police Department has again earned full accreditation from the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators. In August 2018, an assessment team comprised of staff from other campus law enforcement agencies across the country conducted an extensive review of the VCU department’s operations, policies and procedures to ensure full compliance with IACLEA’s standards.

As part of the accreditation process, sworn and civilian staff members provided hundreds of examples of how VCU Police met, and exceeded, all of IACLEA’s roughly 210 professional standards. IACLEA recently notified John Venuti, VCU’s chief of police and associate vice president for public safety, that VCU Police would be accredited for another four years. The department was first accredited by IACLEA in September 2014.

“Reaccreditation is a direct reflection of the daily efforts by everyone at VCU Police,” Venuti said. “Obviously the process required a lot of coordination and organization, but at the end of the day, each staff member is working to make VCU’s campuses the safest possible. We are very proud of this accomplishment.”

IACLEA represents more than 1,000 campus law enforcement agencies at colleges and universities in 15 countries. Accreditation by the organization is considered the gold standard for campus law enforcement and is recognition of professional excellence in campus public safety.

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.