By Joslin Woods and Lily Chen

Several events, such as the Virginia Tech massacre, have reinforced the need for campus safety improvements in the coming year, said newly appointed Chief of Police Marlon Lynch.

A lot of safety and precautionary regulations that came out of the incident were already in place here, Lynch said.

For example, a text-messaging service to send students emergency alerts had been implemented prior to the Virginia Tech shootings, but only around 40 students had subscribed.

Since the massacre, the number of students using the service has dramatically increased, Lynch said.

“What we were able to do is just tweak (our policy) and fine-tune it,” he said.

A new precinct structure, organized by Lynch, a 15-year law enforcement veteran, divides campus into three zones: central campus, the medical center and The Commons.

VUPD employs 115 people, 86 of them sworn police officers.

The precinct structure creates an efficient network that allows officers who are assigned to a specific precinct to focus only on that particular area, he said.

“It allows them to become very familiar with the geographic layout and also with the students, faculty and staff that are within those areas,” Lynch said.

Police officers will enforce rules and policies, such as the alcohol policy, within each precinct.

Some officers also have been assigned specifically to Greek Row. They are trained to recognize the odor of alcohol and are able to distinguish the behavior and symptoms of intoxicated students.

The department also works with Metro police on a daily basis and trains with them to better protect the student body, Lynch said.

“Our relationship with Metro allows us countywide jurisdiction upon request,” Lynch said. “We can go anywhere in Davidson County.”

If Metro encounters a Vanderbilt student, it informs VUPD, Lynch said.

“Generally for the off-campus parties that occur adjacent to campus, they will call us and ask us to respond with them or just call us to respond and handle it.”

He also said Metro police are on hand if an emergency situation occurs on campus. “The need for additional police services is readily available,” he said.

But according to Lynch, the two agencies have the same power of arrest.

“If we stop you, and you don’t comply, you will get arrested,” Lynch said.

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