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Special Event Coverage

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 RMC Security and is defined by uniformed unarmed officers with no police powers. You may select “police” or “security” at the top of the request form to choose your request type.  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 fourteen (14) days prior to the event. If the request is not submitted within the required fourteen (14) days, 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. Please check the box for Police or Security Requests at the top of the form. Estimate the number of officers needed for your event. We typically require 1 officer for every 100 event participants.  Once we have reviewed your request, an assessment may cause an increase or decrease in the number of officers assigned, as well as the type of coverage (police or security). You will be responsible for all charges incurred. Effective January 10, 2024:

  • For events requiring police coverage, the cost is $73.10 per hour with a mandatory minimum of three hours. 
  • For events requiring security coverage, the cost is $24.29 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 $36.06 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 Ofc. Levin White at whitelj3@vcu.edu or (804) 828-3182.