An annual survey conducted by the Survey and Evaluation Research Laboratory of the VCU Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs influences public safety operations for the new academic year, with pedestrian safety and nighttime police visibility in the spotlight.

The overwhelming majority – 94% – of community members at Virginia Commonwealth University reported feeling “safe” or “very safe” on campus, according to the 2025 Perception of Safety Survey. The figure is 2 percentage points higher than last year.

Nearly three-fourths of VCU community members surveyed were “not concerned at all” or “slightly concerned” for their safety while on campus. In the preceding six months, 92% of respondents had not witnessed a crime, and 97% had not been victims of crime, according to researchers.

The annual survey of randomly selected students, faculty and staff on both VCU’s Monroe Park and MCV campuses gives public safety officials a fuller picture of how their work is manifesting in the community and where improvements can be made. The 2025 survey, completed by 1,025 individuals, was conducted this spring by the Survey and Evaluation Research Laboratory through the L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs.

This year’s survey found that emergency communications and officer visibility were viewed as positives by a large majority of VCU community members.

• More than 80% of respondents said they feel an increased sense of safety because of VCU Alert notifications on their phones and VCU Alert text messages (82% and 81%, respectively)
• Seeing VCU Police officers on foot patrol increased the feeling of safety for 78% of respondents
• Among respondents who interacted with a VCU Police officer, 90% felt “satisfied” or “very satisfied,” and 81% of respondents who had reported an incident or concern to VCU Police felt “satisfied” or “very satisfied”

VCU Police nighttime patrols and emergency reporting telephones were also listed as key initiatives that increased the feeling of safety on campus.

“VCU Police and the VCU Survey and Evaluation Research Laboratory created this custom survey tool specifically for the VCU community. The survey was first launched in 2012 and has been conducted annually for the past 13 years,” said John Venuti, associate vice president for emergency services and public safety at VCU and VCU Health. “The data collected allows VCU Police to create custom deployment plans to focus on places where the community feels less safe. This survey process allows our community members to have input, which drives how our team ensures student, faculty and staff safety.”

“One of the pillars at VCU Police is valuing everyone’s voice ... Our work plans revolve around the information gleaned from this survey, so we hope to see even more people engage with safety on campus next year.”
– Clarence T. Hunter Jr., VCU chief of police

Top safety concerns of 2025

VCU community members are asked to provide their top safety concerns for the upcoming year, which helps public safety officials tailor their operations. Overwhelmingly, pedestrian safety (45%) was the top concern cited in the 2025 survey, a data point that ties closely with broader community reports.

VCU Police institute a comprehensive pedestrian and traffic safety plan at the beginning of every academic year. The plan focuses enforcement on several “hot spots” on both campuses, with the intention of increasing officer presence and changing driving habits to promote safety.

Similarly, VCU Police and VCU Parking & Transportation have launched the “Heads Up, Rams!” social media campaign, highlighting pedestrian safety education for all travelers. (Community members are encouraged to follow VCU Police and VCU Parking and Transportation on social media for weekly updates and advice.)

The top five safety concerns for 2025, according to the survey, were:

• Pedestrian safety (45%)
• Increasing VCU Police visibility in the evenings (29%)
• Street harassment (21%)
• Increased lighting around buildings and walkways (17%)
• Patrols in VCU Parking decks and lots (16%)

“We appreciate very much the honesty provided by those who took part in the 2025 survey,” Hunter said. “This data has already helped to inform how our team responds. Our leaders and officers have incorporated this survey data into their planning for the 2025-26 academic year.”

Safety when navigating campus

Related to those top five concerns, VCU Police highlight resources that can help community members when traversing the area.

Street harassment whistles are available at VCU Police headquarters (224 E. Broad St.), and more information is available on this webpage of safety practices.

Also, there are two VCU RAMSWay routes that 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.

Monroe Park Campus RAMSWay path:

• Shafer Street from Broad Street to Franklin Street
• Shafer Street (pedestrian thoroughfare) from Franklin Street through the Compass to Floyd Avenue
• Floyd Avenue from the Commons crosswalk to Linden Street
• Linden Street (pedestrian thoroughfare) from Floyd Avenue to Main Street
• Linden Street (pedestrian thoroughfare) from Main Street to Cary Street

MCV Campus RAMSWay path:

• 12th Street from Broad Street to Marshall Street
• Marshall Street from 12th Street to 11th Street
• 11th Street from Marshall Street to Leigh Street
• Leigh Street from 11th Street to 10th Street
• Through the College of Health Professions pedestrian thoroughfare, crossing Turpin Street, to Larrick Student Center
• Larrick Student Center to the Eighth Street Parking Deck

More resources available

While VCU community members were pleased with the safety resources and services provided by VCU’s public safety team, many reported being unaware of services and programs that can help keep community members and their property safe. Among resources:

• Bike/computer registration: Register computers, bicycles or scooters with VCU Police to help with recovery if it is lost or stolen.
• VCU Safety Ambassadors: These highly trained, unarmed civilian members of VCU Police respond to calls for service that do not require an officer.
• Security escorts: VCU Parking and Transportation provides an evening shuttle service, RamSafe, for the Monroe Park Campus through the Ride Pingo app.
• Rating VCU Police: VCU Police officers carry “stop cards” that allow community members to rate their interactions with officers. VCU Police leadership reviews the feedback provided by community members.
• 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.

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

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

Please visit police.vcu.edu to learn more about these and other safety initiatives available to all VCU community members.

This story originally appeared on VCU News.