About Us
The Old Dominion University Police Department is a full service, internationally accredited and state certified police agency committed to providing professional police and safety services to members of the university community and to residents of the concurrent patrol area adjacent to main campus. ODU police officers are trained in one of the state’s regional criminal justice academies alongside officers from a variety of local municipalities. Officers regularly receive additional training designed to improve their skills, knowledge, and abilities, to enhance effective communication, provide police services, and investigate crimes. ODU police officers are sworn, full-time officers that have the authority to effect arrests for violations of law, occurring on and off campus.
The department proactively addresses safety and security-related issues and educates members of our university community regarding their role in maintaining a safe campus environment. The University’s main campus is known to be safe; however, it is in an urban area not completely free from criminal activity. Members of the campus community are encouraged to use common sense in making decisions that may affect their personal safety. The ODU police department has implemented a multitude of safety and security initiatives; however, the most extensive plan cannot succeed without the awareness and cooperation of those who work, study, and live on our campuses.
The ODU Police Department operates around the clock providing full police and safety services to the local community. In addition to the main campus, the department has an extended patrol jurisdiction governed by an agreement with the City of Norfolk, certified by the City of Norfolk Circuit Court. The ODU Police are also responsible for providing safety and security services for the Virginia Beach Higher Education Center, Virginia Beach, VA and the Tri-Cities Higher Education Center in Portsmouth, VA and Suffolk, VA. Thomas Nelson Community College Police department, whom have the same law enforcement authority as ODUPD, is responsible for patrolling the ODU Peninsula Center. The Old Dominion Police Department is located at 4516 Monarch Way, in Norfolk, VA. The police department also operates two (2) substations. The Community Engagement Unit, K9 Unit, and Police Cadets are located in the Powhatan Apartment complex substation (757-836-4267) and the Investigations Unit is located at 4116 Monarch Way substation (757-683-4090). Office hours for each substation flex each semester, so community members are encouraged to call and schedule an appointment or call the ODU Police Department at 757-683-5665. Organizational Chart >
Monarchs Helping Monarchs
The ODU Police Department goes above and beyond to ensure student success.
On behalf of the Old Dominion University Police Department, welcome and thank you for taking the time to visit our website. The Old Dominion University Department of Public Safety encompasses the Old Dominion University Police Department, the Office of Emergency Management, Threat Assessment, and Clery Act compliance. Our police department is a full-service law enforcement agency that is internationally accredited through The Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA), the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators (IACLEA) and is a Certified Crime Prevention Campus Community through the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services. The Old Dominion University Police Department is a proactive, value-driven organization that supports the mission of the Department of Public Safety through the delivery of quality professional and innovative police services with integrity, tailored to the needs of our community.
The Old Dominion University Police Department maintains the highest level of training, ethical standards, and technological innovation while embracing 21st Century Policing ideology by building community trust through transparency and effective teamwork. In 2021, the Old Dominion University Police Department served as part of the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services “Reimagining Public Safety” working group. This working group was comprised of law enforcement officials, community advocates, and academia professionals throughout the Commonwealth. The goal of the committee was to determine ways that law enforcement and the community could jointly engage in addressing concerns related to use of force, implicit bias, and the recruitment, selection, and retention of police officers. This work culminated in a statewide conference that forged meaningful community relationships and led to several recommendations to the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services that will enhance police and community expectations and relationships, well into the future.
The Old Dominion University Police Department’s website provides numerous resources for training, safety awareness, services, programs, and our annual Security and Fire Safety Report. Our department is committed to continuous improvement, operational transparency, and community engagement with all members of the Monarch community.
Please let us know how we are doing. We encourage and welcome your feedback, whether positive or negative, so that we may make improvements where necessary, and continue to provide the level of service you expect and deserve.
Garrett Shelton
Chief of Police
Professional Standards Statistical Analysis
ODUPD is committed to providing law enforcement and security services that are fair, effective, and impartially applied. To help achieve this, all department personnel including both sworn officers and civilian employees are held to the highest standards of conduct and are expected to treat all individuals with respect and to acknowledge the rights of all persons. Adherence to these standards, by personnel motivated by a moral and professional obligation to perform their job to the best of their ability, is the ultimate objective of this agency. The Office of Professional Standards is responsible for investigating all misconduct complaints made against members of the Old Dominion University Police Department. Below is the statistical analysis of the types of complaints and the findings.
Policing As A Community
Virginia Community Policing Act
In an effort to reduce law enforcement officers from engaging in bias-based profiling, the Virginia Community Policing Act requires law enforcement agencies to collect demographic information during all traffic and investigatory stops. This data is submitted to a statewide Community Policing Reporting Database maintained by the Virginia State Police. The statewide data will be analyzed to determine the prevalence of bias-based profiling. Visit the Open Data Portal and search for Old Dominion University Police Department under agency name.
Proud Community Partner
ODUPD is a CALEA Nationally Accredited Law Enforcement Agency. IACLEA Accredited Campus Law Enforcement Agency and DCJS Certified Crime Prevention Campus Community.
