91% of VCU community members feel safe on campus, survey finds

By Brian McNeill

The vast majority (91%) of students, faculty and staff at Virginia Commonwealth University feel either “very safe” or “safe” on VCU’s Monroe Park Campus and VCU Health campus, according to a new survey of 1,678 members of the VCU community. 

The survey also found that, in the past six months, 93% of respondents had not witnessed a crime on campus, and 97% had not been victims of crime. Among those who had witnessed or experienced a crime, most incidents involved property offenses. 

The annual Perception of Safety Survey is distributed to randomly selected students, faculty and staff on both campuses each spring and provides data that help inform the activities and initiatives of VCU Police. It is conducted by the Survey and Evaluation Research Laboratory at VCU’s L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs.

“At VCU Police, our intelligence-led policing model leverages data to make decisions. This annual survey gives our department a roadmap for what our community would like to see change,” said Clarence T. Hunter Jr., chief of police at VCU. “We take this opportunity seriously and incorporate this feedback into our annual work plan and deployment strategy.”

When asked to name the top safety concerns that VCU Police should prioritize for the upcoming academic year, respondents – faculty, staff and students – said:

• Pedestrian safety (57%).
• Addressing street harassment (23%).
• Increasing visibility of police in the evenings (20%).
• Increasing lighting around buildings and walkways (20%). 

Respondents also commented that they are concerned about bicycle, scooter and skateboard safety.

“Our traffic division has already developed a detailed plan to address pedestrian safety, including targeted enforcement zones based on the data collected during Operation Safer Streets,” Hunter said. “One crash is one too many, so our approach also involves robust community engagement, a growth of our #HeadsUpRams social media campaign and partnerships with outside agencies.”

To enhance pedestrian and traffic safety initiatives at VCU, the university in 2023 completed a pedestrian safety study, in partnership with the city of Richmond Department of Public Works, that identified and prioritized pedestrian safety improvements on the VCU Monroe Park and MCV campuses and in downtown Richmond. For more on pedestrian safety projects that have been completed, are underway or are being planned, visit here. 

VCU Police patrol both the Monroe Park and medical campuses day and night, and Hunter said the patrol division is analyzing this data to inform its approach during the new academic year. The department’s crime prevention and Safety Ambassador units do a quarterly nighttime-light survey to identify maintenance needs or problem areas ahead of time.

The perception of safety at VCU has remained consistently high, with more than 9 in 10 of respondents reporting feeling safe on campus in surveys in each of the past three years.

For this year’s survey, feelings of safety were largely consistent among students, faculty and staff across both campuses. Fewer than 1 of 4 respondents said they were “somewhat concerned,” “moderately concerned” or “extremely concerned” about safety. 

Emergency communications were viewed positively by a large majority of VCU community members, with 80% of respondents saying that VCU Alert notifications increase their feelings of safety on campus.

A large majority (81%) of respondents said they knew whom to call or how to get help while on campus.

While most safety resources were known by respondents, many were not aware of certain services and programs that can keep community members and their property safe. These include:

• Sell Safe: Anyone who is buying or selling a product to a person they do not know can meet in the front vestibule of VCU Police headquarters (224 E. Broad St.) to carry out the transaction under security camera coverage with officers nearby.
• Bike/computer registration: Register computers, bicycles or scooters with VCU Police to help with recovery if it is lost or stolen.
• VCU RAMSWay: These routes connect key locations on both campuses, such as academic buildings, gyms, libraries, medical buildings, residence halls, GRTC and VCU shuttle bus stops, and parking decks. RAMSWay paths are well-lighted and marked with aluminum signs, and they designate high-foot-traffic routes that are covered by VCU’s security camera network.
• VCU Safety Ambassadors: These highly trained, unarmed civilian members of VCU Police respond to calls for service that do not require an officer. 

VCU Police encourages every VCU community member to save two important numbers in their phone:

• In an emergency: 804-828-1234
• Nonemergency calls: 804-828-1196

The free VCU LiveSafe app is also a powerful safety tool, allowing anyone to connect with VCU Police dispatchers via text or instantly review with safety resources.

Visit police.vcu.edu to learn more about these and other safety initiatives available to all VCU community members. Community members can always submit feedback to policedept@vcu.edu.