Residence Life Resource Officer Program
The Virginia Tech Police Department’s Residence Life Resource Officer (RLRO) Program began in April 2011. The program consists of three police officers that patrol the residence halls and residence quads on foot and bike.
The program’s resource center is located on the first floor of New Residence Hall East. During the 2021-22 academic year, the RLROs will hold open office hours on Thursdays between 2-5 p.m. in the front main lobby of New Residence Hall East. Students can contact resource officers by phone at 540-231-6102 or via the RLRONation Facebook page. Read more about our RLRO officers here.
Residence life resource officers have a strong collaboration with Virginia Tech's Residential Well- Being. RLROs attend staff meetings, lead educational programs, conduct walk-throughs in residence halls with resident advisors, assist in emergencies, and serve as mentors to students who have gone through the conduct process. The Residence Life Resource Officer Program received the 2013 Student Affairs Partnership Award.
The officers work primarily night shift to provide maximum visibility in the residence and the dining halls and patrol the halls in both uniform and plainclothes.
RLROs also help with departmental community engagement opportunities such as Gobbler Nights, Orientation, the department's annual Hot Dog Luncheon, and the Student's Police Academy.
RLRONation, a radio show that airs on Wednesdays, from 3:30-5 p.m. on WUVT 90.7FM or can be streamed online at www.wuvt.vt.edu, is another opportunity for the resource officers to interact with the Virginia Tech community.
The officers work with resident advisors to develop new programs, facilitate presentations and engage the community through programs such as:
The Cops and Candy program is one example of how resource officers interact with students and residence life staff. As they distribute candy, they also pass along information on university alcohol and drug use policies.
The Gotcha Program has officers make rounds with resident advisor's to locate unlocked doors and place security notices on the doors. This is done as a reminder to the residents to keep doors locked to help reduce crime.
The Fermented 500 Program has the officers bring six drunk goggle pedal go-cart racers to the residence quads to help educate about the dangers of drinking and driving.
The R.A.D. (Rape Aggression Defense) Program for female students and the R.A.D. (Resisting Aggression with Defense) Program for male students are two comprehensive 12-hour courses that begin with awareness, prevention, risk reduction, and avoidance. They then progress to the basics of hands-on defense training. Officers instruct these programs at the New Residence Hall East Residence Life Resource Officer Community Center.
Residence Life Resource Officers:
Sgt. M. Pasquarell: 540-231-8858 | micah17@vt.edu
Corporal J. Tarter: 540-231-1395 | tarterj@vt.edu
Officer J. Miller: 540-231-6102 | jasmil@vt.edu