University of Virginia - Safety & Security

Quick Stats

College Prowler Take

Most students at UVA feel pretty safe. The UVA police and security force is quite a noticeable presence on campus—in addition to the school’s 59 police officers, there is a staff of about 71 security workers, not to mention the greater Charlottesville police task force. Standard campus security services are offered at UVA (blue-light phones, escort services), but the best tools are common sense and simple awareness. If there’s one flaw in the security at UVA, it’s that students sometimes don’t understand the importance of looking out for safety. As one student said, it’s easy to feel “almost too safe,” and get lulled into a false sense of security. On campus and in parts of Charlottesville, life can seem over-insulated at times, and when tragedies happen, it comes as a shock to many.

As with any college, UVA can be unsafe if you’re not looking out for yourself. Sexual assaults have become a bigger problem over the last few years, particularly in off-campus housing areas where it is more difficult for campus police to monitor activity. For the most part, however, you’ll have little to worry about during your time at the University. Students are advised to simply use common sense, not walk home alone late at night, and take steps to protect themselves.

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Students Speak Out

Anonymous says:

I’ve always felt really safe here.... I’ve always felt really safe here. I think most other students do, too. A lot of being safe is just using common sense. 12345 Safety & Security Report

LittleJoy says: University of Virginia 2014 Social Sciences

There is definitely way more than... There is definitely way more than one rape per year! Sexual assault is a huge problem at UVa that no one seems to want to acknowledge or deal with aside from Take Back the Night. What is worse is that the administration doesn't do anything to protect or help victims of sexual assault. Also, rape can happen to anyone, even if you do use your common sense. In fact, the people to watch out for are most often your UVa classmates. 12345 Safety & Security: April 26, 2009 Report

Anonymous says:

On the whole, Virginia is very... On the whole, Virginia is very safe; however, there are a few exceptions, as with almost all places in the world. I think that safety awareness is pretty high here and that the students really do look out for one another. 12345 Safety & Security Report

Anonymous says:

The Virginia campus is one of the... The Virginia campus is one of the safest in the nation. There are not many things that call for campus police involvement, and if anything does require their assistance, they understand that we are college students and try to help us out more than punish us. 12345 Safety & Security Report

Anonymous says:

Security and safety are, for the... Security and safety are, for the most part, good, but you still should be careful (don’t walk alone at night). There are buses and an escort service, which is a free ride that you can call to safely take you where you need to go. And campus police are all over, mostly making sure everyone is getting home okay. 12345 Safety & Security Report

Did You Know?

In 2005, the following crimes were reported on UVA Grounds:
Aggravated Assault: 9
Arson: 4
Burglary: 74
Forcible Sex Offenses: 3
Hate Crimes/Prejudice: 1 (race-related)
Manslaughter: 0
Motor Vehicle Theft: 2
Murder/Non-Negligent Manslaughter: 0
Non-Forcible Sex Offenses: 3
Robbery: 4

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