Fraternities Team Up With Police Through Adopt-A-Cop program

Blacksburg police and Virginia Tech Interfraternity Council are teaming up to create a stronger community.

 

By Matt Betcher

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The adopt-a-cop program was created in response to non-college residents’ complaints about fraternities. Specifically complaining about the noise that parties create.

 

“Basically we get a lot of complaints, what was happening was we were having a serious public relations issues in the town,” said Officer James Rowe of the Blacksburg Police Department. “Everyone was blaming everything on the fraternities.”

 

However, the police department found fraternities aren't the only cause of the problem.

 

“It really wasn’t the fraternities causing problems,” Rowe said. “It’s what I like to refer to as roaming fraternities. Those people roaming from one party to another, they’re not in fraternities.”

 

Blacksburg Police Captain Anthony Wilson recognized that something needed to be done, as the age disparity between retirees and college students continues to grow.

 

The result was the adopt-a-cop program, forming a partnership between Virginia Tech’s Interfraternity Council and the Blacksburg Police Department.

 

The program provides participating organizations with an assigned police officer to assist them with issues and provide safety advice.  

 

The Blacksburg Police hope to combine the adopt-a-cop program with No Hokie Left Behind. Using fraternities and sororities as a source to help push the cause and initiate change throughout the Hokie community.  

 

“If I see a no hokie left behind wristband, it creates a thing," said Keith Gorman, an adopt-a-cop participant. "This one of my brothers at Virginia Tech, this is one of my sisters at Virginia Tech and I should care for them.”