The VCU Police Department provides coverage for special events on VCU’s campuses. There are two types of coverage: police officer and security officer. Police officer coverage is provided by the VCU Police department and is defined by uniformed officers carrying police weapons with arrest powers. Security officer coverage is provided by contracted Sentry Force Security and is defined by uniformed unarmed officers with no police powers. VCU Police will ultimately make the final decision whether police or security is required at an event.

All requests for officer coverage should be submitted a minimum of 14(days prior to the event. If the request is not submitted within the required 14days, the VCU Police Department is unable to guarantee that an officer will be available. Please confirm with the building manager of your event location to see if police or security is required for your event. 

To request event coverage, complete the Request Event Coverage Form in its entirety. Once we have received your request, we will conduct an assessment using our Off Duty Staffing Matrix to determine the level of police and/or security coverage needed You will be responsible for all charges incurred. 

• Effective June 10, 2025, for events requiring police coverage, the cost is $76.45 per hour with a mandatory minimum of three hours. 
• Effective May 10, 2025, for events requiring security coverage, the cost is $28.14 per hour with a mandatory minimum of three hours for coverage. For holiday requests, or those requested less than 48 hours prior to the event, the cost increases to $42.21 per hour.

Event cancellations should be made at least three days prior to the event to avoid a charge. If an event is cancelled less than three days prior to the event, the requestor is subject to the three-hour minimum charge.  

Event Request and Cancellation Request forms can be found by clicking the links to the left. Completion of each field is required for VCU Police to coordinate officer presence.

Direct any questions or concerns to Special Operations Division Commander Lt. E.L.Greer at egreer@vcu.edu or (804)828-3157.  E-mail request may receive a quicker response.