As one of Tennessee's larger law enforcement agencies, the Vanderbilt University Police Department (VUPD) provides comprehensive and service-oriented law enforcement and security services to all components of Vanderbilt University, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Vanderbilt Health at 100 Oaks, and a variety of University-owned facilities throughout Davidson, Wilson, and Bedford counties. Both non-commissioned Community Service Officers and commissioned police officers staff the department.
VUPD maintains national, international, and state level accreditations through three governing bodies: CALEA (Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies), IACLEA (International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators), and TLEA (Tennessee Law Enforcement Accreditation).
Commissioned police officers are empowered to make arrests as "Special Police," through the authority of the Chief of Police of the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County. Vanderbilt officers with special police commissions have the same authority as that of a municipal law enforcement officer while on property owned, operated or otherwise controlled by Vanderbilt. Non-commissioned Community Service Officers (CSO) are vital to the security operations of the department and are empowered as unarmed security guards through the Tennessee Private Protective Services Agency.
Additionally, VUPD operates a 24/7 communications center maintaining all emergency and non-emergency calls, including 9-1-1; monitoring of the Video Patrol program, intrusion and panic alarms, and blue light emergency phones. The communications center has direct radio communications with the Nashville police, fire department, and ambulance services.
When a Vanderbilt student is involved in an off-campus incident, Vanderbilt police officers may respond and assist with the investigation in cooperation with local, state, or federal law enforcement. Metro Nashville police routinely work and communicate with Vanderbilt officers on any serious incident occurring on campus or in the neighborhoods and business areas surrounding campus.
Metro Nashville police have primary jurisdiction in all areas off campus, but Vanderbilt police officers are often dispatched to respond to student-related incidents that occur in close proximity to campus.
Vanderbilt officers have direct radio communications with the Nashville police, fire department, and ambulance services to facilitate rapid response in any emergency situation.
VUPD offers a wide variety of services to the community described in detail on its webpage. Services include the following:
- Emergency notifications through the AlertVU system
- Timely security notices
- Educational programming
- Emergency phones (located across the campus)
- Lost & found
- Operation ID [Register Your Possessions under the Students pull-down menu]
- Self-defense (RAD)
- VandyRide shuttle bus system
- Victim Services support for crime victims
Additional information about VUPD services and programs is available on the VUPD webpage and in the Vanderbilt University Annual Security and Fire Safety Report.