Sal Orlando, Assistant News Editor
VCU Police issued 1760 traffic summons this semester amid their “Operation Safer Streets” enforcement effort.
VCU Police doubled the size of its traffic division to focus on enforcing traffic law, assigning officers to monitor high pedestrian red lights and areas with posted traffic signage, according to their fact sheet on the operation.
Officers on patrol, community policing and investigation assignments provided “high visibility and traffic enforcement support” when able.
The majority of the violations were for speeding, which made up 743 of issued traffic summons, according to the final numbers. The other reported violation summons issued were 246 highway signs, 186 red light, 22 seatbelt, 14 DUI and 563 other incidents. VCU police made 14 DUI arrests related to the operation.
“Just to be clear, we tell our officers to never write a ticket just to write a ticket,” VCU Police Lieutenant Edgar Greer said during a press conference. “They were on the streets looking for serious violations and dangerous behaviors.”
Motorists going north on Belvidere created the biggest area for speeding concerns on the Monroe Park campus. E. Leigh Street, from N. 4th Street to N. 8th Street, is where the most speeding violations were reported on the MCV campus.
Red light summons were primarily issued around the intersections of West Broad and South Belvidere streets, West Cary and South Belvidere streets and West Broad and North Harrison streets. Highway sign summons were concentrated mainly on North Harrison between West Franklin and West Broad.
The operation follows two fatal pedestrian crashes in 2023 that killed two VCU students. VCU has introduced a number of safety initiatives since, according to previous reports by The CT.
“We, as pedestrians, have to be extra vigilant because people behind the wheel are behaving so poorly and we know that the most harm comes to someone as a pedestrian from motor vehicles,” said Andy Boenau, director of the Richmond Department of Transportation, during a press conference. “So this isn’t to put blame on people who get hurt by walking around, it’s to acknowledge there’s such bad behavior behind the wheel that you’ve got to pay more attention.”
There have been 47 crashes involving pedestrians, bicyclists and scooters this academic year as of April 15, according to VCU Police. Last year, there were 37 incidents throughout the academic year.
There were 33 hit-and-run incidents near VCU campuses between February and April, according to VCU’s daily crime log.
“I definitely feel like there’s an effort being made, but I do feel like just by the virtue of how Richmond drivers are, I still feel like I might turn into a pancake,” second-year political science student Riley Devany said.
Anna Skillin, a third-year criminal justice and psychology student, said she has noticed the addition of the “HEADS UP PHONES DOWN” signs around campus over time.
“I appreciate that there’s crossing guards,” Skillin said. “That’s nice when they have those up in the main intersections, but there’s only one by the Commons.”
Skillin said she would like to see more crossing guards at other main intersections during busy class times.