A message from August Washington, senior associate vice chancellor for Public Safety and Special Initiatives

Dear valued members of the VUMC community,

As our community, and many across the nation, grieve George Floyd and other deaths witnessed as evidence of racism and injustice, we know that speaking out against these acts must continue in for order for change to occur.

As you know, many are calling out such injustices through protests in cities across the United States. On Saturday, May 30, 2020, a large peaceful protest in Nashville attended by thousands gave way by evening to a much smaller collection of violent protesters and significant damage to parts of our city – like we have seen in many others.

I am sure many of you are concerned about your own safety, as well as our patients and visitors to VUMC. I want to assure you of our commitment to the safety of the entire VUMC community. In light of the protests, Vanderbilt University Police Department has deployed additional staff to patrol the medical center and to serve as a visual deterrent.

As chief of police for 11 years at Vanderbilt, the safety and well-being of our entire Vanderbilt community (campus and medical center) has remained my top priority and continues now in my role as senior associate vice chancellor for public safety and special initiatives.

Please know that the men and women within the Vanderbilt University Public Safety department work diligently to maintain a safe and secure community and are committed to doing so with the utmost care and compassion and under the highest standards of conduct. More than 300 staff serve within the department, which includes 100 police officers, 135 community service officers and 80 security personnel.

We also continue to work closely with our city’s and state’s law enforcement and government agencies to protect members of our campus community.

I assure you that we will continue to deliver superior law enforcement services with integrity, while respecting and safeguarding the dignity and rights of all individuals.

I encourage you to reach out to me with any concerns or questions you may have.