VCU news

By Michael Kelly

Virginia Commonwealth University, the premier urban research university in Virginia, is also home to the largest campus police force in the state and one of the largest in the country. With more than 90 officers, 200 security personnel and an on-campus dispatch center, VCU Police works around the clock to make sure VCU’s campuses are safe and inviting places to learn, live, work or visit. Several men and women will soon have the opportunity to be a part of this mission as the department recruits new officers for its 39^th Basic Law Enforcement Academy.

Through Oct. 11, the department is recruiting men and women with an interest in a career in law enforcement. Candidates who are chosen for and successfully complete VCU Police’s rigorous 25-week academy can expect to join an innovative and growing agency that performs municipal-style police work in a campus setting within a dynamic urban environment.

“We are establishing ourselves as one of the nation’s up-and-coming campus law enforcement agencies combining traditional enforcement with creative and innovative community policing philosophies that help us better connect with the demographic that we serve,” said VCU Police Chief John Venuti. “Most campus law enforcement agencies are not on the streets in neighborhoods that surround the school. They’re in the buildings and things like that. We’re very, very different.”

VCU Police is the only campus law enforcement agency in Virginia to operate its own state-certified criminal justice academy. Recruits will work on physical fitness, basic policing tactics, learn the laws of the state and train to patrol on bike, on foot or in car. VCU Police recruits must then successfully complete 12 weeks of field training under the supervision of a veteran officer before they are permitted to begin patrolling the streets.

“The value to having our own academy is that our curriculum is specifically designed and structured for campus law enforcement here at VCU,” Venuti said. “It’s a challenging curriculum that will help candidates better understand themselves and their strengths and weaknesses.”

Many officers have found a military background or experience or education in criminal justice to be valuable to their work at the VCU Police Department, but, according to Venuti, there is no single set of experiences or abilities that predicts who will make a good police officer.

“The one component that might be a determining factor in whether or not someone will be a successful police officer is whether they have a strong desire to serve,” Venuti said. “You can teach everything else but you can’t teach someone to want to serve.”

VCU Police offers starting salaries that are competitive with local municipal agencies, as well as a generous package of state benefits that includes a tuition waiver for officers interested in pursuing higher education. The department is a certified employer under the Virginia Values Veterans (V3) program and prides itself on being an accommodating and welcoming place for those who have left the military or for potential officers who may have active military commitments.

The department also offers entry-level officers the opportunity to do more than simply enforce laws, as would be normal in a municipal department. Because the department serves a campus community, education, engagement and crime prevention are a part of each officer’s portfolio.

“On a daily basis the job is a 50/50 split between enforcement and community policing,” Venuti said. “Community policing is part of the everyday life here as part of the responsibilities here at VCU. That includes prevention, education, outreach and partnerships.”

Officer Morgan Swim, a graduate of the 38th basic academy in April 2013, said the commitment to innovation and community policing prompted her to apply to join VCU Police.

“I was very intrigued by the modern feel of the police department,” Swim said. “VCU Police is very in tune to the VCU community and surrounding communities through outreach projects and social media. This community feel is what initially attracted me to the VCU Police Department and made me feel as though I would be more than just a badge and a number to the department and the community.”

And while Swim admits the academy is a challenging experience that demands hard work, she still recommends that anyone interested in law enforcement consider applying.

“During the academy everyone gains respect for each other for how hard they work, not for their size or gender,” Swim said. “If you stay positive throughout the academy you will always see the silver lining through all the hard times, which will also follow you once you are out on your own.”

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