Public Safety Officer

University Public Safety Officer

Virginia Union University (VUU) is a distinguished private institution founded in 1865 that proudly upholds a legacy of academic excellence and community engagement. With a historic 86-acre campus, it offers a dynamic and nurturing environment for its 1,568 undergraduate and graduate students. Virginia Union University is recognized in the 2024 edition of U.S. News & World Report, holding a prestigious position as #39 among Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

The University Public Safety Officer protects the life, property, and peace of the Virginia Union University community through visible patrol, access control, emergency response, incident documentation, and service-oriented engagement with students, faculty, staff, and visitors. The officer serves as a uniformed, highly visible representative of the University and is expected to carry out all duties with professionalism, sound judgment, procedural fairness, and restraint.

This position is established in two certification tiers. Unarmed Public Safety Officers are registered with the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) as unarmed security officers; Armed Public Safety Officers hold DCJS armed security officer registration with a current firearms endorsement. Both tiers perform the core duties described herein, and both operate in support of, and under the operational direction of, the University's campus police department. Non-sworn public safety officers do not exercise the arrest powers conferred upon sworn campus police officers appointed under Va. Code § 23.1-815; officers shall summon a sworn officer or the Richmond Police Department for any matter requiring the exercise of police powers.

Virginia Union University is a historically Black university founded in 1865 to educate men and women newly freed from bondage. Public safety at Virginia Union is therefore understood as an instrument of student success and institutional stewardship, not merely of enforcement. The officer is expected to police in a manner that affirms the dignity of every member of the University community, that recognizes the historic and contemporary relationship between Black communities and law enforcement, and that consistently favors de-escalation, communication, and referral to University support resources over coercive intervention.

• Practice community-oriented and relationship-based policing: learn the campus, know its people, and be present in residence halls, academic buildings, and at student activities as a trusted resource.
• Exercise de-escalation as the default response; use only that force which is objectively reasonable, necessary, and proportional, and only when no reasonable alternative exists.
• Recognize students in distress and connect them promptly to Counseling Services, the Dean of Students, Residence Life, or the appropriate care team rather than to punitive processes where a supportive response is appropriate.
• Represent the University with courtesy and restraint in all contacts with visitors, vendors, neighboring residents, and external law enforcement partners.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

A. Patrol and Physical Security

• Conduct foot, vehicular, and bicycle patrol of University buildings, residence halls, parking areas, athletic facilities, and grounds on an irregular and unpredictable pattern throughout the assigned shift.
• Secure, unlock, and inspect buildings and rooms according to established schedules; test doors, windows, gates, and perimeter barriers; and report unsecured or damaged conditions.
• Identify and report safety hazards, lighting outages, inoperative locks, water intrusion, fire-safety deficiencies, and other conditions requiring Facilities Management response.
• Monitor electronic access control, video surveillance, fire alarm, and emergency communication systems from the Public Safety Communications Center as assigned; dispatch and log calls for service.

B. Access Control, Credentialing, and Traffic

• Control access to University facilities and events; verify University identification credentials; register and direct guests, vendors, and contractors; and deny entry to unauthorized persons.
• Enforce University parking and traffic regulations, issue citations, direct traffic, coordinate towing of unauthorized vehicles, and provide motorist assistance such as vehicle lockouts and jump-starts.
• Provide safety escorts to students, employees, and visitors upon request, particularly during hours of darkness.

C. Emergency Response and Incident Management

• Respond promptly to calls for service, alarms, medical emergencies, fires, hazardous conditions, disturbances, and criminal activity; stabilize the scene; render aid within the scope of training; and request police, fire, and emergency medical services as needed.
• Administer first aid, CPR, AED, and naloxone consistent with current certification and University protocol until emergency medical services arrive.
• Execute assigned duties under the University Emergency Operations Plan and the National Incident Management System, including evacuations, shelter-in-place, severe weather operations, and lockdown procedures.
• Support the University's emergency notification and timely warning processes by reporting qualifying incidents to the Chief of Police / Director of Public Safety immediately.
• Perform assigned duties during inclement weather and declared emergencies; this position is designated essential personnel and reports as scheduled when the University is otherwise closed or operating on a delay.

D. Documentation, Reporting, and Records

• Prepare accurate, complete, legible, and timely incident reports, field interview records, daily activity logs, property and evidence records, and citation records in the department's records management system.
• Maintain the daily crime and fire log in accordance with federal requirements when assigned, and preserve the integrity of all records as official University documents.
• Testify or provide statements in University conduct proceedings, administrative hearings, and judicial proceedings as required.

E. Special Events and Community Programming

• Provide security for Commencement, Convocation, Homecoming, athletic contests, Board of Trustees meetings, presidential events, concerts, and other special events, including crowd management and traffic control.
• Participate in crime prevention programming, residence hall safety briefings, new student orientation, active-threat awareness training, and other outreach initiatives.

F. Additional Duties — Armed Tier

• Carry and maintain the University-issued firearm and authorized less-lethal equipment in strict accordance with DCJS regulation, University policy, and departmental general orders.
• Successfully complete all required firearms qualification, requalification, use-of-force, and de-escalation training on the schedule established by the Chief of Police / Director of Public Safety.
• Secure all weapons and munitions in approved storage when not on duty; immediately report any loss, discharge, or malfunction of a weapon.
• Serve in armed post assignments designated by the Chief, including cash escort, high-risk event coverage, and armed response posts.

Perform other duties as assigned in support of the mission of the Department of Campus Police and Public Safety and the Division of Infrastructure Management and Planning.

Clery Act, Title IX, and Regulatory Responsibilities

• Report all Clery-reportable crimes, Violence Against Women Act offenses (domestic violence, dating violence, stalking, and sexual assault), hate crimes, and arrests and disciplinary referrals for weapons, drug, and liquor law violations to the Clery compliance officer immediately and without exception.
• Report all disclosures of sexual harassment, sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking to the University Title IX Coordinator, and inform complainants of their rights, supportive measures, and reporting options.
• Support the issuance of timely warnings and emergency notifications by relaying qualifying incident information to the Chief of Police / Director of Public Safety without delay.
• Comply with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act where applicable, and all University policies governing the confidentiality and release of information; refer all media inquiries to the Office of the President or its designee.
• Comply with the University's mutual aid agreement obligations, including the notification of the Commonwealth's Attorney within 48 hours of the initiation of an investigation into an alleged felony sexual assault occurring on University property, as required by Va. Code § 23.1-815.
• Support compliance with the Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act, the Virginia Freedom of Information Act as administered by the University, and the annual security and fire safety report data collection process.

Required Certifications — Commonwealth of Virginia

All University Public Safety Officers shall hold and maintain, as a continuing condition of employment, the registration and training credentials required by the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services pursuant to Va. Code § 9.1-139 and the Regulations Relating to Private Security Services (6VAC20-171 et seq. and 6VAC20-174 et seq.). Lapse, suspension, revocation, or denial of any required registration or endorsement shall render the employee