VCU Police initiative addresses safety concerns on Belvidere Street
VCU Police held a press conference in Monroe Park to discuss their new safety initiative on Belvidere Street on April 14. Photo by Arrick Wilson.
Emily Grinstead, Contributing Writer
VCU Police implemented a traffic initiative on March 7, which will continue through May, along a busy section of Belvidere Street.
Following concerns from community members, VCU Police increased traffic enforcement efforts along a five-block corridor of Belvidere Street, from West Broad Street to Canal Street, according to an April 8 press release from VCU Police.
Major Ervin “EJ” Taylor, assistant chief of police at VCU, addressed the media on April 14. Taylor said VCU Police has increased their enforcement by 69%.
“We have definitely seen a decrease in some of the traffic violations on campus, and also we’re constantly working with our pedestrians providing information,” Taylor said.
As of April 10, VCU Police has issued 64 tickets and 49 warnings out of 113 stops since the operation started. This is compared to 62 traffic violations reported in the same corridor from January to April 2024 and 42 in 2023, according to a press release issued by VCU Police April 8.
VCU Police will issue tickets on Belvidere for violating the 25 mph speed limit, running red lights and failing to yield to pedestrians, according to Taylor. Enforcement has increased through radar and LiDAR and increasing police presence at intersections on Belvidere.
“We have a lot of officers sitting around near intersections observing traffic patterns and also the violations,” Taylor said. “We have groups of officers come out on particular days throughout the week and engage with our community.”
Taylor said safety in this particular corridor of Belvidere is important because the street borders student residence halls and there is a high number of students crossing the street every day.
Along with increased enforcement of traffic laws, Taylor said she urges students to be responsible and aware when crossing the street.
“Make sure your head is on a swivel,” Taylor said. “Make sure you’re looking around and ensure that most drivers see you before you step out into the street.”
VCU Police’s Belvidere Street Operation follows ongoing pedestrian safety initiatives on campus, including the installation of “Head Up, Phones Down” signs, speed tables, no-turn-on-red signs and curb extensions, according to VCU News. These initiatives follow the death of two VCU students in traffic-related accidents in January and May of 2023.
Taylor said the presence of officers sets the expectation for drivers that traffic violations will not go unnoticed.
“We plan to set the expectation, anyone that’s coming to our campus understands that we are out here to enforce,” Taylor said. “And if you get through once speeding, our plan is to make sure it doesn’t happen a second time.”
Officer Jose DeJesus is in VCU Police’s traffic division. DeJesus said issuing a ticket is not always the answer, but being pulled over can be a learning experience.
“I’d rather educate people, so I do give a decent amount of warnings,” DeJesus said. “I think as long as we can have an intelligent conversation as adults, I’ve done my job.”
The Belvidere Street Operation will run through May 2, but VCU Police will continue to focus on this corridor beyond the operation’s conclusion.
