Safety is Shared Priority for Aug. Weekend

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Members of the University Community,

Since we last wrote to you earlier this month, we have continued to work closely with local and state agencies to prepare for the weekend of August 10 with safety as our shared priority. We have participated in public briefings with these partners and will continue to meet with both University and community groups in the coming weeks.

On Tuesday in Charlottesville federal court, Jason Kessler effectively withdrew his legal challenge for a permit to hold a demonstration in downtown Charlottesville on August 11 and 12. Even with this new development, public safety partners throughout the state and the University continue to prepare for events. The plans include space restrictions on Grounds and in the City of Charlottesville.

Space restrictions and road closures will continue to evolve in the days leading up to the August 10 - 12 weekend. As of today, the following restrictions are known:

  • Beginning August 10 at 5:00 pm through August 13 at 7:00 am access to the plaza on the North side of the Rotunda will be restricted.
  • Beginning August 11 at 6:00 am through August 11 at 12:00 pm access to the Lawn will be limited to attendees for a ticketed event and Lawn residents.
  • The City of Charlottesville has posted information about road closures and restricted areas on this website. If you expect to be downtown, please be sure to check this site for updates.

Safety is a shared responsibility. We are committed to providing information that allows you to make informed, personal decisions regarding your own safety. We are working as members of the unified team to develop and implement safety and security plans to mitigate and respond to acts of violence and destruction of property. It is anticipated that people will be participating in demonstration-related activities in the Charlottesville area throughout the weekend of August 10 - 12. The intent and actions of those individuals cannot be definitively predicted. However, we know that previously in Charlottesville and during other events throughout the country violence has occurred. We encourage members of our community to develop and maintain situational awareness of any events in which they decide to participate.

Please also take time to familiarize yourself with the University's policies so that you understand what is permissible on Grounds and what is not. Links to relevant policies and information about how to report incidents are posted at freespeech.virginia.edu. You should expect to see increased police and security presence both on Grounds and in the community throughout the weekend and the days surrounding it.

If you see something that concerns you, say something. Call 911 in emergency situations and use online resources or non-emergency phone numbers listed on the free speech website to report other incidents.

We are committed to doing everything we can to keep our community safe and providing information for individuals to make decisions regarding their plans for these days. We appreciate your partnership in this effort, both as it relates to the weekend of August 10 and throughout the year.

Sincerely,

Patrick D. Hogan
Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer

Gloria S. Graham
Associate Vice President for Safety and Security
 

The following email was sent to the UVA community on July 10, 2018:

Members of the University Community,

With the one-year anniversary of the violence last August approaching, we write to provide an update regarding the University's safety and emergency preparedness efforts for the weekend of August 10. The region is anticipating individuals gathering in Charlottesville, and several community groups are holding events throughout the weekend.

University officials have been meeting regularly with their counterparts at the state and local levels, including law enforcement, first responders and emergency management.

The Regional Emergency Operations Center will be activated throughout the weekend of August 10-12. Public safety representatives from the City of Charlottesville, Albemarle County, University of Virginia Police, and Virginia State Police will be working together to coordinate safety and emergency management efforts. The University's Critical Incident Management Team (CIMT) will also be activated that weekend. At this time, there is no information that indicates there will be planned demonstrations on Grounds.

The City of Charlottesville will host a public forum to discuss preparedness efforts on Thursday, July 12 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Mt. Zion First African Baptist Church. The forum will be livestreamed on Facebook and recorded for re-broadcast on local Channel 10.

The city has launched a dedicated website,www.charlottesville.org/resilientcville, with important resources and other information regarding the anniversary. The website includesFrequently Asked Questions on community safety and preparedness and what to expect that weekend. We encourage every member of the University community to visit this website.

We will continue to provide additional community updates as the anniversary approaches. The safety and well-being of every member of the University community remains our top priority.
 

Patrick D. Hogan
Executive Vice President and COO

Gloria S. Graham
Associate Vice President for Safety and Security