Virginia Center for School and Campus Safety | | | | | | New laws impacting Virginia K-12 schools will take effect on July 1st, including legislation regarding cell phone policies, tobacco possession, cardiac response programs, and more. Check out our Legislative Summary for Schools –July 2025 Addendum for the latest updates! | | |
Upcoming Campus Training
Campus Security Officer (CSO) Certification Training
South Prince George, VA - July 8, 2025
Arlington, VA - August 14, 2025
Campus Threat Assessment Team Training
Manassas, VA - July 24, 2025
The Four Corners of Title IX Regulatory Compliance
Emory, VA - August 4, 2025
Clery Act Training Seminars (CATS)
Fairfax, VA - August 5-7, 2025
Investigation Foundations Level Two: Skills and Report Writing for Higher Education
Northern Virginia, VA - November 6, 2025
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Back-to-School Safety Memo
As the start of the 2025–2026 school year approaches, VCSCS is providing information, updates, training, and resources related to school safety. Check out the memo below!
| | | Hallway Highlight: Recognizing the People and Programs that Go Above and Beyond! | |
Churchland Primary and Intermediate School has implemented our "Stop the Prop" graphics at their bilingual campus!
The goal of the "Stop the Prop" campaign is to prevent unauthorized access to our building by ensuring all exterior doors remain closed and secured at all times. At Churchland, these signs were developed in Spanish as well as English, thanks to Spanish teacher Alex Shabez, Instructional Assistant Martha Martinez, and SSO Chauncy Harris. The school also took "Stop the Prop" one step further by installing badge-access entry points at additional staff-used doors throughout the building.
This program could not have been successfully implemented at Churchland without the dedication of Lieutenant Kenneth White of the Portsmouth Sheriff's Office, who oversees their School Resource Officer (SRO) program, and SROs Babineau, Brinkley, Wilcox, and Sugg. Special thanks also go out to staff members Jenine Morris, Chris Salmon, Ron Hill, Michael Quick, John Brooks, Parent Liaison Vicki Sanchez-Tiller, SSO Kintrell M. Devin, and Principal Dr. Latonya Harris.
If you haven't gotten your "Stop the Prop" graphics yet, make sure you ask about them at one of our in-person trainings! If you have a school safety program or hero to celebrate, submit using the button below!
| | | New! Behavioral Threat Assessment and Management eLearning! | | |
The new “K-12 Basic Behavioral Threat Assessment and Management (BTAM)” eLearning course is now available on Benchmark!
This eLearning course is perfect for new threat assessment team members who are required to take the Basic BTAM course but cannot attend an in-person or live webinar session.
Log in to your Benchmark account and click here to access the training, or go to “Available Training” and search “VCS-K12 Behavioral Threat Assessment and Management BTAM (Full eLearning Course).
| | Human Trafficking Training for Colleges eLearning | |
The DCJS State Trafficking Response Team is excited to announce a new online training opportunity. Human Trafficking Training for Colleges is a 30-minute e-module that is available for free on our website, where you can learn about how trafficking affects college students and young adults. This module is now available to the public and is recommended for college students and young adults, parents, and university faculty and staff.
Along with sex trafficking and labor trafficking, this module covers topics such as OnlyFans, Sextortion, Stripping, and Sugaring.
Virginia law requires all public colleges and universities to provide human trafficking education to incoming students. Private institutions are encouraged to do so as well. DCJS can help your school meet this requirement. Click here to learn how to implement the DCJS online training for free at your institution.
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Make Safety a Part of Your School's Culture!
Devote ten minutes of each all-staff meeting to a “safety segment” where you quiz your counterparts, refresh knowledge of a policy/procedure, or run through a scenario to get folks thinking about safety!
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September is Suicide Prevention Month
September is Suicide Awareness and Prevention Month, and while suicide awareness and prevention are important all year long, having a dedicated month allows us the opportunity for extra focus on the importance of prevention. Suicide is one of the leading causes of death for 10 to 24-year-olds in Virginia and across the country. First responders and veterans are at increased risk for depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts. We can all take an active role in prevention by knowing the signs and where to get help. If you or someone you care about is experiencing any of the warning signs or you just suspect suicidal thoughts, call or text 988 to speak with a counselor who can help.
To learn more about the warning signs, visit the SAMHSA website on suicidal behaviors.
To learn more about 988, visit the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline website.
To schedule a suicide prevention workshop for your agency or school, email Betsy Bell at betsy.bell@dcjs.virginia.gov.
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SAVE THE DATE
2025 Behavioral Threat Assessment Regional Forums
"Building Safer Communities: Behavioral Threat Assessment in K-12, Higher Education, and Beyond"
- October 6-7, 2025 – Abingdon, VA
- October 21-22, 2025 – Lynchburg, VA
- October 28-29, 2025 – Fredericksburg, VA
On day one of these repeated forums, pre-forum sessions will be offered for K-12 and higher education team members. The second day will feature keynotes from local, regional, and national speakers discussing current issues our K-12 and higher education teams face.
Registration is expected to open in early July.
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Here is a decade-long snapshot of the numerous safety-minded constituents we have served in a variety of in-person and virtual trainings across the commonwealth. The overall increase in training participants over the last five years has paralleled our expanded training offerings. Before 2020, we held an average of 103 trainings per year; since then, we have averaged 384 trainings per year, with over 400 trainings held per year from 2021-2024!
Thank you to all of our staff, contractors, vendors, partners, supporters, and constituents for trusting us with your professional development. We are honored to serve the commonwealth.
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2025 marks the 25th anniversary of the Virginia Center for School and Campus Safety (VCSCS). VCSCS, originally called the Virginia Center for School Safety (“the Center”), was created in 2000 as a response to the tragic events at Columbine High School in 1999. The Code of Virginia § 9.1-184 established the Center within the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services and tasked it with conducting research and providing training, technical assistance, and resources to Virginia’s K-12 public schools and the law enforcement officers assigned to them.
Since our inception, we have taken an innovative approach to school safety. Our School Safety Audit Program, established in 2004, was the first of its kind in the nation, aiming to identify and find solutions to safety concerns. In the same year, we developed a robust school security officer and training program to train and support all non-law enforcement individuals tasked with providing security services to Virginia schools. This program was expanded in 2006 to similarly train security officers at institutions of higher education.
In 2013, the Center expanded to add new higher education safety initiatives and was rebranded The Virginia Center for School and Campus Safety (VCSCS). Since then, VCSCS has greatly expanded its services and supports for K-12 schools, institutions of higher education, and law enforcement agencies. VCSCS has led the way in school safety in the United States through groundbreaking initiatives such as model policies and training for school and campus threat assessment teams, a digital mapping program, robust school resource officer programming, first responder wellness resources, and much more.
Today, school and public safety are more essential than ever before. VCSCS has evolved further to become the Division of Public Safety Training and the Virginia Center for School and Campus Safety (PST-VCSCS), expanding our mission to include safety training for the public as well. Our broadened programming includes our Critical Incident Preparedness and Response (CIPR) training, which instructs law enforcement and civilians on proper response to targeted active attack emergencies. Our team continues to conduct research, create guidance and resources, and provide trainings on a wide range of safety issues affecting all Virginians. As we look to the future, we will continue in our efforts to make Virginia safe for everyone. As we reflect on the past quarter-century of progress, we want to make sure we take a moment to thank all the current and former employees, constituents, and partners we have made along the way. Your continued support enables us to advance school safety initiatives across the commonwealth.
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