The University of Richmond Police Department is currently hiring more officers to add to its agency, and Dave McCoy, chief of police, hopes they become familiar faces on campus, he said.
URPD currently has 22 sworn officers and state certified security guards, and is in the process of interviewing 13 new applicants for future patrol and police officer positions, McCoy said. The current number of officers is enough to cover campus 24 hours a day, seven days a week, he said, but it leaves little room for flexibility.
Police shifts are 12 hours long, either 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. or 8 p.m. to 8 a.m., McCoy said, with eight police officers and security guards working night shifts and three working during the day. This work schedule will remain in place, but the added officers will allow the department to have a larger rotation, McCoy said. With constant activity during the school year, officers are usually restricted to a small time frame during the summer during which they can take days off. But with the added number of officers, if emergency time off is needed, there will always be someone to fill any vacant shifts, he said.
For social activities and major public events on campus, campus police increases its coverage, McCoy said. "Police coverage has been great at our lodge," said senior Will Farmer, former president of Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity. URPD will usually start its coverage of a lodge as normal and increase its numbers as the event needs, he said. "They do an excellent job helping us control the crowd or any guests that have become a risk," Farmer said. Although special event coverage isn't the cause of the new officer positions, McCoy said, they will help by providing any needed extra coverage.
The main reason for the added positions is to increase public safety and the department also hopes the new officers will become engaged with the campus community, McCoy said. "On such a small campus where everyone knows everyone, it's important for us to find candidates with the right personality and skill sets for the job," he said. "My hope is that people will see them as friendly, familiar faces."
Contact reporter Mia Webber at mia.webber@richmond.edu
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