RICHMOND, Va. — Some Virginia Union University (VUU) students are raising questions about the police presence on the Richmond campus.
Ania Rock, a psychology student at VUU, shared her worries with CBS 6, stating that while the university offers great opportunities, she has encountered troubling safety situations.
"There’s no security really. We only have like one campus police officer I think," Rock told CBS 6. "Around a month ago, a lot of peoples’ cars got broken into in our parking lot. Anybody's cars who were kind of open or easily accessible got broken into, and they just woke up with their stuff gone."
Rock and other students, who did not want to be identified, said they have noticed that the security gates surrounding the campus are often left open, which they believe poses a risk.
"It's only this gate, and that gate’s normally open at night," she said, pointing at the gates near her dorm. "But that one’s always open, so someone could always come in."
Rock also mentioned that she rarely sees campus police patrolling the area anymore.
VUU has its own police department, led by Chief Leonard Broadnax, who started the leadership position in August.
According to the school’s 2023 crime report, which it is required to disclose under federal law, the VUU Police Department consisted of 10 sworn law enforcement positions.
More than 1,200 undergraduate students and 400 graduate students were enrolled at VUU during the 2023-2024 school year, according to a VUU press release.
The crime report indicated that VUU deploys officers on 12-hour shift rotations to ensure "increased law enforcement coverage during peak hours."
While the university has not confirmed the number of officer vacancies it is facing, the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS), a regulatory government agency, said it is only tracking two certified VUU officers in its system.
The DCJS system is used for training purposes and relies on the employing criminal justice agencies to keep their information updated.
Rock believes that the university should hire more officers to improve campus safety.
"I really do want them to do that, so, I don't know, so I could feel more safe. If something happens, who are we going to go to?” Rock said.
While VUU did not answer questions about its staffing or recruitment efforts, citing personnel matters, a university representative provided the following statement:
Our utmost priority is the safety and well-being of our students, faculty, and staff. While we strive to maintain an open and welcoming environment, we are committed to ensuring that our campus remains safe and secure. Our campus police are actively engaged in monitoring the grounds, and we regularly assess our safety protocols to adapt to the needs of our community.
The Richmond Police Department indicated it did not have a set number of officers assigned to assist VUU but is available to help as needed, as it does with any city organization.
CBS 6 is committed to sharing community voices on this important topic. Email your thoughts to the CBS 6 Newsroom.
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