RICHMOND, Va. — Virginia Commonwealth University police officers suited up in referee stripes Tuesday to bring a March Madness twist to pedestrian safety near campus.
Officers stationed themselves at the 900 block of West Main Street — one of the busiest crosswalks on the Monroe Park Campus — blowing whistles to flag dangerous behavior and reward those crossing safely.
Lt. Edgar Greer of the Special Operations Division said the idea was to connect with students in a way that felt relevant and approachable.
"We were thinking about an initiative that we could do, that could really relate to the students and bring something where it's a little fun in nature. But additionally to that, it brings forth the message of what we're trying to do, which is pedestrian safety," Greer said.
The intersection was chosen because of its high foot traffic. More than 1,600 people crossed it in the hour CBS 6 was there.
Officer Kynneath Moss said distracted walking is a persistent problem at the location.
"You get a lot of pedestrians here that just walk. You know, they're busy, they're on the run, they're on their phones. They're calling people, and they just walk. Their heads are down," Moss said.
Moss said the core message is a simple one.
"Biggest reminder is the stuff that we've been told since we were little, look both ways before crossing the street," Moss said.
Greer said pedestrian safety is a shared responsibility and urged students not to assume drivers are paying attention.
"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 that who may be distracted while they're driving, so assume that they're not doing the right thing until you know that they're doing the right thing," Greer said.
Students Rachel Koeneke and Maggie Ohle said the reminder was a welcome one.
"A lot of us like to cross even with the hand being red and a lot of cars like to go maybe when the light is red so it's really important that we have them here having like a positive, positive energy and making sure we're extra safe," Koeneke and Ohle said.
Greer said he hopes the image of officers in referee uniforms sticks with students long after they leave the intersection.
"Just makes them think so when they cross the street, the next time, they'll think about the referee uniform," Greer said.
While Tuesday's operation took place on the Monroe Park Campus, VCU police said they plan to bring the same initiative to the Medical Campus within the next few weeks.
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