Paul V. Verrecchia

Campus Violence Prevention

Abstract
The session will be an interactive presentation focusing on current issues in Campus Violence Prevention from both Public Safety and Student Life perspectives. Discussion will be based on some of the recommendations discussed in the “In Search of Safer Communities”published by Jossey Bass and NASPA, and "The IACLEA Blueprint for Safer Campuses", authored by Steven J. Healy, Dr. Gary Margolis, Chief Michael Lynch, Chief Delores Stafford, Chief William Taylor and Chief Raymond Thrower. Through discussion with the participants the presentation will look at effective response strategies for major incidents of campus violence, as well as obstacles facing campuses and the approaches used to overcome these obstacles.

Biography
Paul V. Verrecchia has over 36 years of law enforcement experience, with over ten years experience in campus law enforcement/public safety.  He is the Chief/Director of Public Safety at the College of Charleston (Charleston, SC), where he oversees the College’s law enforcement, security, and fire safety programs.  He is the chair of the College’s Emergency Management Team.  After the Virginia Tech tragedy, he oversaw the development of the institution’s Emergency Preparedness and Implementation Plan.  Prior to being at the College of Charleston, Paul was the Chief of Police & Director of Public Safety at Brown University (Providence, RI) for the eight years.  He was the chief architect of the implementation plan for arming Brown’s campus police officers.

Under Chief Verrecchia’s leadership, the Brown University Department of Public Safety received its initial accreditation and two reaccreditations from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA).   Paul has also been a team leader and assessor for CALEA since 1998.  

An Institutional Member of the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators (IACLEA) (www.iaclea.org) since 1997, Chief Verrecchia is currently a member of the Association’s Board of Directors.  He served for approximately seven years as a member of the Government Relations Committee.  Paul also served two years as a member of IACLEA’s Accreditation Commission (formerly the Accreditation Committee).  He was a member of the Commission’s Standards Review and Interpretation Sub-Committee.
   
Paul holds a Master of Public Administration, with a concentration in Labor Relations, from the University of Rhode Island and two Bachelor’s degrees from Roger Williams University (Bristol, RI).  Chief Verrecchia was an adjunct instructor for the Community of Rhode Island for approximately 12 years in both the criminal justice and sociology programs.  He currently is an adjunct instructor for the College of Charleston Department of Anthropology and Sociology’s Crime, Law and Society program.