Implementation

In 2020, the Safety and Well-being Advisory Committee (SWAC) was established to develop recommendations to advance VCU's public safety model, fostering systemic and tactical reforms that support the safety and well-being of every individual on campus. SWAC was charged with defining the components of a new transformational model for public safety, leveraging a transdisciplinary approach to better meet the VCU community's needs. The committee was independent of VCU Police. In the summer of 2021, SWAC published their recommendations.

The following is an August 2022 progress update on SWAC recommendations, the focus areas of which are 1) education and training, 2) VCU Police officer recruitment and retention, 3) VCU Police and department accountability, 4) transformational model development, and 5) changing the culture and safety at VCU. Progress updates as of August 2022 for each recommendation area are outlined below.

Following SWAC’s final report, VCU’s Associate Vice President for Public Safety and Chief of Police John Venuti established internal and external workgroups to develop and implement the recommendations that were under the purview of VCU Police. The implementation of SWAC recommendations independent of VCU Police is also highlighted in this section. While this update illustrates progress on several recommendations, others will take more time to implement. Implementation teams continue to meet routinely to actively consult and collaborate on improvements throughout VCU.

Learn more about updates on SWAC recommendations: