| Virginia Tech Police | |
| Logo of the Virginia Tech Police. | |
| Motto | Ut Prosim (that I may serve) |
| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | 1945 |
| Legal personality | Governmental: Government agency |
| Jurisdictional structure | |
| Legal jurisdiction | Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University |
| General nature |
|
| Operational structure | |
| Sworn members | 52 |
| Agency executive | Wendell Flinchum, Chief |
| Specialty unitss | 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. The office is staffed Monday through Friday 8 am to 5 pm and is also the headquarters of the campus bicycle patrol.[2]
The department has 49 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 four detectives and a detective sergeant, and one officer assigned to the New River Regional Drug Task Force.[4] The force is headed by Chief Wendell Flinchum.
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.
Wendell Flinchum is chief of the department.[5] He is a native of Blacksburg and has 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]