As friendly ‘referees,’ VCU Police bring a full-court press to pedestrian safety

By Jake Burns
VCU Police

VCU Police sported a different look Tuesday in a fan-friendly initiative that promotes pedestrian safety on Virginia Commonwealth University's two campuses.

With college basketball's March Madness in the air, officers traded their usual uniforms and duty belts for black and white striped "referee" shirts, whistles and flags. At busy crosswalks, they called "foul" - in a lighthearted way - on pedestrians who exhibited unsafe practices.

"Safety is everyone's responsibility. So when you're crossing the street, you know, you don't want to trust someone that you don't know who may be distracted while they're driving," VCU Police Lt. Edgar Greer told local media that covered Tuesday's initiative. "So assume that they're not doing the right thing until you know that they're doing the right thing."

MEDIA COVERAGE:

VCU Police trade badges for whistles to promote pedestrian safety near campus | CBS 6

VCU Police hit the streets as referees to promote pedestrian safety | 8 News

VCU police wearing referee stripes to flag unsafe pedestrians on campus | 12 On Your Side

During two 30-minute windows Tuesday afternoon - along both West Main Street and West Grace Street - officers counted more than 2,200 pedestrians crossing the roadway. Officers noted several "fouls" that got the most whistles:

• Illegal Screens: Crossing while looking at a phone or device.
• Blocking: Keeping on headphones while crossing the roadway, blocking a pedestrian's hearing.
• Charging: Stepping into or waiting in the roadway before the pedestrian signal changes.

VCU Police provided candy and other prizes to the many pedestrians who crossed safely. Officers said they hope this event was a fun moment that helps spur lasting awareness for travelers.

"I think a lot of people just have to go back to the basics," VCU Police officer Kynneath Moss said. "Look both ways before crossing the street."

Officers will host similar events at the following locations in the coming weeks:

• West Grace and Shafer streets
• West Main and North Laurel streets
• West Broad and North Harrison streets
• North 11th and East Leigh streets
• North 11th and East Marshall streets
• North 12th and East Clay streets

Pedestrian safety remains a top focus for VCU Police, VCU, VCU Health and community partners. Travelers are encouraged to practice safe habits every time they move through campus or the city by eliminating distractions and remaining alert.

Many drivers near VCU exhibit dangerous habits. During Operation Safer Streets, a targeted traffic enforcement initiative launched in January, VCU Police have issued more than 1,400 traffic summonses in seven weeks, including 562 speeding violations, 157 red light violations, 193 violations for failure to obey highway signs and more than 450 traffic-related offenses.

Contact [email protected] for questions or concerns related to pedestrian safety at VCU or VCU Health.