Jeremy Guida named support services police captain for Northern Virginia campuses

As Virginia Tech's presence grows in the greater Washington, D.C., metro area, Jeremy Guida has been named the support services police captain for the Virginia Tech Police Department. 

Guida is based at Academic Building One in Alexandria and serves as a resource for all Virginia Tech locations and Agricultural Research and Extension Centers in the D.C. area. He assumed the role on Feb. 10.

Guida’s role will allow him to meet with faculty, staff, students, and visitors and provide crime prevention information and public safety programming. He will serve in a traditional law enforcement capacity and assist with emergency management functions. 

“This position was created to provide better, more personalized services to the area and is a first for the Virginia Tech Police Department,” said Police Chief Mac Babb. “We are excited to see Capt. Guida take on this role and look forward to providing better service to the Virginia Tech community in Northern Virginia.”

Guida earned a dual degree in criminal justice and psychology with minors in sociology and forensic psychology from Canisius College in Buffalo, New York. In 2009, he moved to the D.C. area to become a patrol officer for the Metro Transit Police Department. “You learn a lot in a big city quickly because of the nature of calls that you are going on,” said Guida.

While at the Metro Transit Police Department, he was a field training officer and wrote the book “Proven: Tips and Techniques Every Police Officer Should Know” as a guide to help new recruits with policing. He also worked on the department’s anti-terrorism team, became a detective with the department’s Criminal Investigation Division, and worked his way up to a supervisor role as lieutenant for the patrol district. He earned the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority Sustainability Award while with the Metro Transit Police Department after spearheading an outreach program focused on homelessness. 

After that, he worked with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives doing government contracting work. While there, he realized he missed the police aspect of his former role and made the jump to Virginia Tech. “I love police work. I love being a cop. I love talking to and meeting people,” said Guida. “Once I get settled in, I really want to start getting in front of the faculty and the students. I love listening to people and their stories.”

Guida is passionate about serving even when he isn’t in uniform. He volunteers as a coach for Odyssey of the Mind, serves as the safety officer for Central Loudoun Little League, and holds board positions for the Parent Teacher Association. 

As the the support services police captain, Guida said he wants the Virginia Tech community to know this: “Nothing is too small for us. You can talk to us about anything. We need you just as much as you need us.”