This came in my weekly email alert from the VCDL. The crime on and near this campus is not getting any better despite a large police presence.
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ACTION ITEM: VCU Concealed Carry Authorization Request Underway!
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Two VCDL members who work at VCUHS are encouraging like-minded students, faculty and staff who are concealed carry permit holders to sign a letter to VCU President Dr. Michael Rao requesting written authorization to carry concealed on VCU campuses.
If you are interested in being a part of this effort, or know someone who is, please contact Mark Hile or Matthew Schaefer at this email address:
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VCU: Breaking down VCU’s latest security report
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Board member sent me this:
According to the Virginia State Police’s Crime in Virginia Report for 2011, VCU has the largest police force among state schools, with 79 sworn officers, 25 more than George Mason’s, the next-largest campus police force in the state with 54 officers.
That report from the state police indicates that **VCU had the highest number of incidents among the 24 colleges and universities reported**, 1,111 total , which is more than double those at the next highest school, the University of Virginia. VCU tallied the highest number of assaults, larcenies, weapons law violations and drug/narcotic offenses among state schools.
From commonwealthtimes.org: http://tinyurl.com/8e56b27
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Let’s hope the VCU President realizes that armed citizens are not the issue.
Sorry… are not the problem.
Yes!
Legally registered gun owners and law-abiding citizens are NOT the problem. We should be allowed to carry a concealed weapon anywhere. States that have the toughest gun laws (Illinois, for example) have the highest crime rate.
Agreed!
All of this was a part of me deciding to not teach anymore part time at CPCC after a decade of service. They got rid of the part time LEO personnel and the retired LEO that ran it. I still get the reports of crime though.
Tough choice.
The crime reports just came out, after dropping for several years homicides and other violent crimes are up last year.
Not good!
Two of my five children graduated with degrees from Virginia Commonwealth University. They attended because VCU has one of the finest art schools in the country. One of the kids graduated with a degree in sculpture and extended media, and the program is reputed to be the best in the US. He actually WORKS as a sculptor now. Our daughter graduated with a degree in illustration, graphic design and a minor in photography, which she also does occupationally. This said, VCU was an exceedingly dangerous campus. Coming from a farm all of our children are competent and safe with firearms, however as you have indicated, VCU’s decentralized campus is a specific exclusion in the law. Even those of us with Concealed Weapons Permits (like my kids and myself) cannot carry within the environs of the huge urban decentralized VCU campus. We also found that although some of the VCU police are very good, that crime, perversion, robberies, threats and extortion are not taken as seriously within the VCU bubble as in the rest of Virginia. We can’t effect change within VCU, but we can see that no one else in our family ever attends again.
Thank you for sharing a personal,perspective. It’s a scary world.
As a copper, I patroled around high schools and colleges for 32 years. I always thought the high school staff should be armed if they chose to be…same for the colleges. You never hear of a wild and crazy gunman attacking a gun store…they only attack where they know the people will be unarmed.
Largest police force of the state schools, yet highest crime rate. Not dissing on the police, but that’s obvious evidence that they can’t be everywhere, and just having lots of cops does not prevent crime.
Let those who can legally carry elsewhere in the state, also carry on campus. Crime WILL go down.