By Jake Burns
VCU Police

Marking a historic milestone for the force, seven new officers have joined the ranks of the Virginia Commonwealth University Police Department – graduating as the 50th VCU Police Academy class.

Their colleagues, families, friends and regional partners celebrated the achievement at a July 11 ceremony at the VCU College of Health Professions.

The VCU Police Academy opened in 1979, and hundreds of law enforcement officers got their start in the profession at VCU.

“The VCU Police Department is incredibly committed to keeping our community safe,” said VCU President Michael Rao, Ph.D. “I am grateful for the public safety team’s professionalism, commitment to teamwork and dedication to treating everyone with dignity and respect. We welcome our new officers as we celebrate the 50th VCU Police Academy class.”

Founded in 1968, VCU Police is one of the largest university police departments in the country, with nearly 100 sworn officers, more than 200 security personnel, an on-campus dispatch center and the training academy. The department is accredited by the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators.

“Running our own certified police training academy allows us to provide additional training that is specific and unique to the function, role and mission of the VCU Police Department,” said John Venuti, associate vice president for emergency services and public safety. “Our approach is student-, patient-, visitor- and community-focused. VCU provides a unique and innovative approach to campus public safety.”

“This graduating class is special – both for their personal journey and what this milestone means for our department,” said VCU Police Chief Clarence T. Hunter Jr. “Generations of law enforcement professionals got their start here at VCU. We challenge this class – and future ones – to uphold the standards of honor, professionalism and integrity set by the 49 classes before them.”

VCU Police is the only campus law enforcement agency in Virginia that operates an independent police academy, training prospective law enforcement officers to meet the highest level of professional and ethical standards.

Most law enforcement officers train at regional academies or at agency-specific academies, such as large county or city police forces or the Virginia State Police.

Completion of the VCU Police Academy’s 22-week intensive training earns recruits certification with the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services (upon completion of field training).

Sgt. Curtis Diesselhorst, commander of the VCU Police Academy, said the program is intentionally structured to begin with the foundations of police work – ethical standards, criminal code, constitutional rights and more – before transitioning into training for real-world scenarios.

“We try to bring back everything we covered in the classroom and find ways to apply it in practical, scenario-based settings,” Diesselhorst said. “It’s not just about learning the material – it’s about knowing how to use it. That’s what prepares recruits for field training and, eventually, solo patrol.”

VCU’s urban setting – where both the academic and medical campuses are located in the heart of downtown Richmond – requires a distinct approach to campus and community policing. According to Diesselhorst, that approach is a significant reason the VCU Police Academy continues to attract talent from across the region.

“I think we train in a very unique way,” he said. “To give our people the best chance to succeed here at VCU, it makes sense to do the training in our own environment—with our officers leading the scenarios and our community members involved. That personal connection makes a real difference.”

Officer Cameron Ward, president of the 50th academy class, will now serve the community he once learned in. Ward graduated from VCU in 2022 with an undergraduate degree in homeland security and emergency preparedness from the L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs

“Coming into the department, I saw that VCU Police are amazing with their ethics, how they train us to be tactically sound, how they train us to be critical thinkers. Being part of something this distinguished is something I take immense pride in,” he said.

The department’s focus on building strong community relationships and practicing fair, impartial policing was emphasized throughout his training, Ward said. Now, as both a graduate of the academy and a Richmond resident, he is proud to join a team that approaches its mission with genuine care and compassion.

“When we respond to a call, we’re not just showing up as officers – we’re showing up as people. We’re here to listen and understand what someone might be going through,” he said.

The VCU Police Academy continues to produce a significant number of officers who go on to serve the department and community for decades.

Maj. Ervin “EJ” Taylor graduated from the 24th VCU academy class in 1998, alongside Maj. Nicole Dailey. Currently, they are the longest-tenured active officers at VCU Police.

“The relationships and camaraderie we built during my academy class set off the rest of my career,” Taylor said. “My class was my first ‘family’ here at VCU, and that feeling of family only grew – in both the department and university. I recognized the importance of relationships in this profession and at this institution and wanted to make a positive impact because of them.”

“Mentorship from my academy instructors was central to my longevity here. They wouldn’t let me fail,” Dailey added. “That personal investment never stopped. Officers took their work seriously and cared about you. VCU Police is such a family. I think for me it’s the foundation of our organization.”

The VCU Police Academy also trains law enforcement officers for service beyond VCU. Graduates of the academy over the past 46 years include personnel with federal, state, campus and municipal departments across Virginia and the nation. These agencies include Virginia Capitol Police, Richmond Airport Police, University of Richmond Police, the Richmond Sheriff’s Office and many others.

The seven recruits in the 50th academy class will begin their field training at VCU in the coming weeks.

VCU Police is in the early stages of recruitment for the 51st academy class, which is slated to begin in spring 2026. For more information on the application process, prospective recruits can visit police.vcu.edu/about/recruitment/. To learn more about the safety programs, resources and specialized units available to VCU and Richmond community, visit police.vcu.edu.