University Police has primary responsibility for developing and deploying services, programs and strategies for maintaining a reasonably safe campus. Specifically, University Police is responsible for crime prevention, law enforcement, emergency response, and for various other community services.
University Police patrol the campus on foot, bicycle, vehicle, scooter and motorcycle. University Police provides a full range of campus services 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Some of these services include investigating reports of crimes, conducting follow-ups as necessary, and filing criminal charges or referring matters (as appropriate) to another departments. Police operations are supported by an Emergency Communications Center, which is staffed by trained and certified dispatchers who answer calls for service, dispatch officers and other emergency services to incidents, fire and environmental alarms.
There are several ways for victims or witnesses to report a crime or an emergency. For a crime in progress or that just occurred, or in an emergency, call 911. Stay on the line and try to remain calm with your information ready. All 911 calls go to the Emergency Communications Center, which can dispatch University Police as well as fire and/or ambulance when needed on Grounds.
You may also use the "tip submit" form on the University Police web site at: TIPSUBMIT
In non-emergency situations, where there is no immediate threat to personal safety or property, contact University Police by dialing 434-924-7166.
You may also use the "tip submit" form on the University Police website:
If you witness a crime or suspicious activity, notify police immediately by calling 911. Do not disturb any evidence. Information that would assist police in resolving the case:
- name of victim
- exact location of the incident
- injuries or need for medical attention
- description of the scene
- description of any suspect
- description and license numbers of any involved vehicles
Make sure you are safe before calling. The information needed will vary based on what is being reported. The following is a list of questions that could be asked when you call for police service:
- What is occurring or has occurred
- Location of occurrence
- Your name and phone number (anonymous calls are accepted)
- Your location, if different from location of occurrence
- The time of occurrence
- If there are any injuries
- If anyone is intoxicated
- If any weapons are involved
- Number of people involved
- Descriptions of people involved (i.e., gender, race, hair color, eye color, height, weight, scars/tattoos, clothing)
- Description of any vehicles involved (i.e. license plate, color, make, model, year)
- Direction of travel of anyone leaving the scene on foot or in a vehicle
- If there are any witnesses, and if so, are they still on the scene
Emergency phones are located throughout Grounds, in UVA garages, and in surrounding neighborhoods. Some phones have a distinctive blue light on top: on Grounds, these types of phones connect directly to the UVA Police Department, and off Grounds these phones connect to the Emergency Communications Center (911).
To call for help, press the button in the area labeled "EMERGENCY." A dispatcher will answer and assist you. The dispatcher will also instantly identify the exact location of the phone you activated. If a caller doesn't speak or can't speak, an officer is immediately dispatched to the phone site. See the web page HERE for maps indicating the locations of Emergency Phones with distinctive blue lights on Grounds.
Information about the Emergency Phone Program and the link to the Public Emergency Phones Dashboard that lists details about phone locations and provides a place to report an emergency phone problem is now posted under the “Safety Technology” tab on the Department of Safety and Security website.
FYI: Due to the Novel Coronavirus, all fingerprinting services for the public have been suspended at this time.
University Police provides applicant fingerprinting services Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m.-2:30 p.m. (except holidays). You must bring your own fingerprint card with you. If you do not have one you can obtain one from the FBI Office at 2211 Hydraulic Road, Charlottesville, Va.
University Police does not offer vehicle entry to persons that lock their keys in the car. We can assist by calling a tow truck or other agencies that provide this service.
If you wish to receive a synopsis of a report contact the University of Virginia Police Division at 434-924–7166. The victim or reporting party of the incident may obtain a synopsis of the report.
The Clery Act is a federal law designed to help create safer campuses by requiring colleges and universities to issue alerts and timely warnings about crimes in the Clery Act which may pose a serious or ongoing threat to students and employees. UVA Alerts warn of an immediate threat and are deployed through email, text, social media, laptop, and digital display screens across Grounds. Timely warning notifications are typically issued after a crime has occurred via email in an effort to help prevent similar crimes from recurring.
The University publishes an annual report that includes information on crime prevention, crime reporting, fire safety, and statistics about crimes and fires that occurred during the previous three years on and adjacent to the Grounds or in areas owned, leased, or controlled by the University.
The report is available here. You may request a hard copy of the report from the University by writing to [email protected].
No. Parking violations and citations are paid to UVA Parking either online at https://uva.t2hosted.com/Account/Portal or sent by mail to Parking and Transportation, 1101 Millmont Street Charlottesville, VA 22904. See https://parking.virginia.edu/citations.
Yes! Depending on your location, several local agencies have emergency alert systems in place to notify you of an ongoing emergency situation. Below, please find the links to additional resources with information on how to sign up for local emergency notifications regarding situations that occur off grounds:
For areas around main Grounds in Charlottesville:
The City of Charlottesville’s Emergency Alert System: https://www.charlottesville.gov/64/Emergency-Alert
The City of Charlottesville and Albemarle County Community Notification System. You can sign up to be notified by the Charlottesville-UVA-Albemarle ECC and your local emergency response team in the event of emergency situations or critical community alerts. Examples include evacuation notices, bio-terrorism alerts, boil water notices, and missing child reports: https://public.coderedweb.com/CNE/en-US/BF7B5552C1EC
For areas around the Richmond Center location:
Henrico County Community Emergency Notification System: https://public.coderedweb.com/CNE/en-US/449A0ED42EC4
City of Richmond Community Notification System: https://public.coderedweb.com/CNE/en-US/BF0383499109
For areas around the UVA-Inova Fairfax Campus location:
Fairfax County Alerts: https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/alerts
For areas around the Darden Sands Family Grounds location:
Arlington County Alerts: https://www.arlingtonva.us/Government/Programs/Emergency/Arlington-Alert
For the areas around the Mountain Lake Biological Station location:
Giles County Community Notification System: https://public.coderedweb.com/CNE/en-US/397620CD6E22
The Ambassador Program was implemented in February 2015 to enhance safety in and around Grounds through high visibility and engagement between the Ambassadors and the public. The ambassadors remain visible through walking, biking, vehicle patrol, and stationary positions within the designated “Ambassador Patrol Zone.”
This map displays the vehicle and bike patrols and the stationary ambassadors throughout the Ambassador Patrol Zone. It primarily consists of areas adjacent to Grounds that contain student housing and transitions into areas occupied predominately by city residents. There are also ambassadors near the Rotunda and Lawn 24/7.
The patrol zone is evaluated periodically based on emerging trends and coverage needs on and near Grounds.
Ambassadors – identifiable by their neon green shirts/vests - can provide the public with information on Grounds and directions to various locations within the Ambassador Patrol Zone, actively identify individuals in distress or in need of assistance, engage in conversation about safety and prevention, turn in lost and found items to university police, and alert police to hazards, medical emergencies, or other possible criminal activity. Ambassadors can also provide a “safe walk” by request for students who do not feel comfortable walking alone.
If you are leaving Grounds and would like someone to accompany you on your walk home, students can request a safe walk from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. This program helps students who feel uneasy walking home after dark. The ambassador meets the student at the safety substation on the Corner and will walk the student within a 1-mile radius. Likewise, students walking to Grounds early in the morning for clinical rotations can often call to schedule a walking escort, pending availability. If you need a safe walk escort from our ambassador team, please stop by the Public Safety Substation on the Corner or call 434-984-7622, extension 406.
No. Ambassadors do not have law enforcement arrest powers and are not a replacement for 911. However, they do have direct access to officers in the Public Safety Substation and can alert them about criminal activity.
No. For their safety, we do not encourage our ambassadors to break up violence. Ambassadors can and should call the police to do so.
No. Ambassadors are not medical providers. However, they do have direct access to report medical emergencies to first responders in the area.
No. However, if you need non-emergency assistance on Grounds, you can go to the Public Safety Substation on the Corner to speak with an ambassador or police officer at any time of the day.
Yes! Our ambassadors are happy to turn in the property found to the university police/security officer. Likewise, lost property can be picked up from the Public Safety Substation on the Corner.