Equity in Policing
The history of policing matters, prior to the end of 1971, the University moved from a security department to a police department. We at URPD recognize that our department is part of the larger criminal justice system rooted in history and needs to improve in many ways. From Tulsa, Detroit, Mobile, Birmingham, the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the summer of 67 and the Kerner Commission, Liberty City, the 2015 President’s 21st Century policing report, the death of George Floyd and the current activism that has followed impacts how we operate in the future.
Our mission is to build and foster stronger relationship across campus to ensure a safe environment for our students, faculty, staff and visitors. This University excels when you have the confidence to engage, challenge and grow during your stay at UR. We understand that you cannot fully embrace these opportunities unless you feel safe and confident. We will continue to listen, adapt and partner with those sharing the same desire to experience all that UR offers without fear.
The following departmental information is provided to our community related to key policies, training and key statistical information. Our police department will continue to be distinctively UR and built for the needs within our community.
Training
Fair and Impartial Policing: Training in this area consists of many different formats from group discussions to formal presentations. This document provides information on recent training completed by members of URPD. We will continue to train on this important topic on an annual basis, and we always look to partner with campus organizations to facilitate further discussion.
Crisis Intervention Training (CIT): All officers have received CIT on how to engage with people in crisis. As legislative action continues to shape mental health responses and care, URPD will continue to respond with compassion, empathy and kindness to our community members in crisis. We will partner with Counseling Services (CAPS) and Student Development in implementing best practices and strategies to serve our community.
Trauma-Informed Sexual Assault Investigations: Investigators have been trained on conducting
this type of investigation using the principles associated with this discipline.
De-Escalation Training: URPD was one of the first campus police department’s in the country to adopt and implement formal de-escalation use of force training sponsored by the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF). When enforcement action is necessary such as citations, arrests or use of force, we will evaluate each incident with sound decision-making methods, proper tactics, use of communication and de-escalation when applicable.
Accreditation
1990 – current Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA)
2007 – current International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators (CALEA)
2014 – current Va. Dept of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) Certified Crime Prevention Campus
Use of Force
The most important decision an officer makes is when to exercise the authority to use force or restrict an individual’s movements. The totality of an incident has to be processed at times in seconds with an outcome that can last a lifetime. In certain types of use of force, URPD will request the services of Richmond or Henrico Police Departments for assistance based upon the location and nature of the incident.
Every incident is reviewed at multiple levels and if needed recommendations for improvement will be implemented. For more information on the direction of Use of Force within URPD:
Key elements of our Use of Force policy.
COMPLAINTS
URPD maintains high standards of integrity and professionalism. Each year we have thousands of interactions with our community members. We want to hear from you if you wish to make a complaint concerning the action(s) of any member of the Police Department.
https://police.richmond.edu/contact/complaint.html
Any complaint of bias or discrimination is referred to the University Bias Response Team (BRT).
Additional ways to report a concern about an interaction with any of our staff include:
The Ethics and Compliance Helpline can be reached toll free at (804) 287-1800 or by submitting an online report.
The Student Center for Equity and Inclusion https://inclusion.richmond.edu/contact/index.html
Transparency
Transparency can build trust and initiate conversation. The information available here encompasses several URPD key performance indicators of our statistics as well as a link for you to view police statistics across the state of Virginia.
Collecting and analyzing field and traffic stop data
Virginia Community Policing Act Data Collection Site. Data consists of stops from Virginia law enforcement agencies. https://data.virginia.gov/stories/s/rden-cz3h
URPD culture is driven by the mission of the University. Each year the University changes with the departure of a senior class and entry of the first-year students. These transitions create change within the culture of a University. URPD needs to be responsive and adaptive to changes as often as our community changes.
We encourage you to assist us by being part of our Community Advisory Board.
https://police.richmond.edu/community-concerns/community-advisory-board.html
