| Virginia Tech Police | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Motto | Ut Prosim (that I may serve) |
| Agency overview | |
| Formed | 1945 |
| Jurisdictional structure | |
| Legal jurisdiction | Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University |
| Operational structure | |
| Sworn members | 52 |
| Agency executive |
|
| Specialty units | Investigative Division, Community Outreach Unit, K9 Unit, Emergency Response Team |
The Virginia Tech Police Department (VTPD) is a nationally accredited police department with jurisdiction over Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. The departments original accreditation with CALEA was awarded on November 18, 1995 and the department was reaccredited most recently on November 18, 2006.[1]
The department is based in the Sterrett Facilities Complex, building 0523, located on campus behind Lane Stadium. A satellite office is located in the first floor of War Memorial Gym near the center of campus. The satellite office grew out of a pilot project launched in November 2006 and became fully operational at the beginning of the Spring 2007 semester. This office is not staffed full time and is also the headquarters of the campus bicycle patrol.[2]
The department has 51 full-time sworn officers who are complemented in their duties by 9 dispatchers and numerous security personnel.[3] The department's investigations unit consists of a detective lieutenant and four detectives. One detective is assigned to the New River Regional Drug Task Force and another is assigned to the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force.[4] The force is headed by Chief Kevin Foust.
VTPD officers have jurisdiction and legal authority on all university-owned property and work closely and share jurisdiction with the Blacksburg Police Department, the Montgomery County Sheriff's Department and other law enforcement agencies.
The force came to world attention in April 2007, following the Virginia Tech massacre.
Beyond general law enforcement, the department provides services including Rape Aggression Defense classes, the Student's Police Academy, the Campus Citizens Emergency Response Team (CCERT), child seat installation & education, and fingerprinting for background and security clearance checks. The Residence Life Resource Officer Program began in 2011 in partnership with the Housing and Residence Life Division of Student Affairs at Virginia Tech. This collaborative public safety initiative was designed to compliment the existing community outreach "Adopt a Hall Program", which has been in effect since the fall of 2001. In addition to having every patrol officer assigned a residence hall as part of the Adopt a Hall program, the Residence Life Resource Officer Program has 4 full time officer positions that are assigned to work specifically within the housing units in a public safety, leadership and educational capacity with students. The department also has a three officer K9 unit (one tracking/narcotic K9 and two explosive detection K9's), an Emergency Response Team and other units.
Wendell Flinchum is the former chief of the department and retired in 2014.[5] He is a native of Blacksburg and had spent his entire career with the Virginia Tech police beginning part-time in 1983 while a student at Virginia Tech. He has worked as a safety escort, a dispatcher, a patrol officer and a detective. He joined the department full time in 1985. He also trained at the FBI National Academy. Flinchum was named chief over 90 candidates.[5][6][7]
</ref> Kevin Foust was named chief of police and director of campus security at Virginia Tech in August 2014, a position he held on an interim basis since February 2014. Foust joined the Virginia Tech Police Department in 2011 as the deputy chief of police and assistant director of security after a 24-year career with the FBI. As deputy chief and assistant director of security, Foust managed security operations for the university’s facilities across Virginia and overseas. In addition, he led the police department’s administrative division, which included communications, community outreach, security, and the Safe Ride program. Foust began his career at the FBI in 1987. He served in several capacities including unit chief of the Usama Bin Laden Unit in the Counterterrorism Division. He was the supervisory senior resident agent for Southwest Virginia prior to joining the university. Foust received two bachelor’s degrees from Grove City College.<ref name="Chief's Desk">
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