Division of Patrol Operations

General Information on the Patrol Division

The Patrol Division of the VCU Police Department consists of 61 sworn personnel who have completed training mandated by the Department of Criminal Justice Services. All officers are empowered by state law to carry firearms, conduct criminal investigations, make arrests and testify in court. The Patrol Division is located at 224 E. Broad Street.

Routine Police Services

Operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week, the Patrol Division is staffed by police officers who work permanent shifts. They patrol each campus with marked and unmarked police cars, bicycles, and on foot; respond to emergency and non-emergency incidents; offer crime prevention services; and provide traffic control and enforcement.

Bike Patrol

VCU is partially patrolled by police officers on mountain bikes. Mountain bikes are able to bridge the gap between automobiles and foot patrol, providing quiet, cost-efficient and amazingly effective community policing on campus. Bike patrol officers undergo training and certification through the International Police Mountain Bike Association.

Foot Patrol

On foot, officers provide increased patrol inside university buildings and ensure high visibility by concentrating on a smaller sector than that of a mobile unit. Foot patrol officers periodically check buildings in their sector. Officers on both the Monroe Park Campus and MCV Campus conduct foot patrols on their assigned beats.

Mobile Patrol

Each campus is patrolled by officers in visibly-marked VCU police cars. In partnership with the Richmond Police Department, these patrol units also have jurisdiction in neighboring communities where many students and staff live. Each officer has had special emergency vehicle operators course training in order to operate the vehicles safely during emergency responses. Some officers are radar-certified to better enforce traffic laws.

Reporting Crimes

Although the majority of all crimes at VCU are thefts, any crime or suspicious activity should be reported immediately to the VCU Police Department by calling (804) 828-1234. You may also utilize the LiveSafe app to report crimes from your mobile Android or iPhone device. (A simple five-minute delay means the chance of capturing a criminal drops by two-thirds.)