Virginia Commonwealth U Ranks 1st in US for Traffic Safety Initiatives
The International Association of Chiefs of Police has selected the VCU Police Department as first in the nation among colleges and universities for the organization’s 2014 National Law Enforcement Challenge.
VCU Police debuted the Win or Lose Cruiser in March 2013. The vehicle is painted to be half police car, half taxi, with each side detailing the consequences and costs of a DUI charge versus taking a cab.
The International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) has selected the Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) Police Department as first in the nation among colleges and universities for the organization’s 2014 National Law Enforcement Challenge. The challenge recognizes law enforcement traffic safety programs for 2013, focusing on those that address issues such as impaired driving, occupant protection and speeding.
“An urban campus with increased pedestrian, bicycle and vehicular traffic presents challenges that the department has responded to with education and enforcement programs that are unparalleled on other college campuses,” said Dana Schrad, executive director of the Virginia Association of Chiefs of Police, the organization that coordinates the LEC program in Virginia. “Some of VCU’s best campus traffic safety programs now serve as models for other colleges and universities.”
The VCU Police Department is recognized for its numerous initiatives, including (but not limited to):
- Unveiling a Win or Lose cruiser, a police vehicle outfitted as half patrol car and half taxi cab with DUI messaging to promote the use of taxi cabs versus impaired driving.
- Participating in multiple DUI checkpoints along roadways on VCU’s Monroe Park Campus with Virginia State Police and the Richmond Police Department.
- Hosting safety talks on roadway safety, bicycle laws and safety, drunk driving and pedestrian safety that reached 11,600 students and parents and more than 5,000 VCU employees in 2013.
VCUPD was involved in Mothers Against Drunk Driving programs, “Click It Or Ticket” seat belt enforcement checkpoints, offered a distracted driver simulator on campus and trained new officers on how to properly detect and test impaired drivers.
The department was also honored with the 2013 Governor’s Transportation Safety Award in the law enforcement category for its commitment to safety on the road.
If you appreciated this article and want to receive more valuable industry content like this, click here to sign up for our FREE digital newsletters!
About the Author
Robin Hattersley, Editor-in-Chief
Robin has been covering the security and campus law enforcement industries since 1998 and is a specialist in school, university and hospital security, public safety and emergency management, as well as emerging technologies and systems integration. She joined CS in 2005 and has authored award-winning editorial on campus law enforcement and security funding, officer recruitment and retention, access control, IP video, network integration, event management, crime trends, the Clery Act, Title IX compliance, sexual assault, dating abuse, emergency communications, incident management software and more. Robin has been featured on national and local media outlets and was formerly associate editor for the trade publication Security Sales & Integration. She obtained her undergraduate degree in history from California State University, Long Beach.
Related Content
Leading in Turbulent Times: Effective Campus Public Safety Leadership for the 21st Century
This new webcast will discuss how campus public safety leaders can effectively incorporate Clery Act, Title IX, customer service, “helicopter” parents, emergency notification, town-gown relationships, brand management, Greek Life, student recruitment, faculty, and more into their roles and develop the necessary skills to successfully lead their departments. Register today to attend this free webcast!
