The Kent State University Police Department was recently awarded national accreditation for the ninth time by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies Inc. (CALEA) in the Law Enforcement program. The Kent State Police Department was first accredited in 1991.
Following four annual documentation reviews and a meticulous site-based assessment of community engagement, policy, procedures, equipment and facilities by CALEA assessors, the Kent State Police Department was presented for review at CALEA’s 2020 Conference. Each agency being reviewed goes before CALEA’s 21-member Board of Commissioners. The commission reviews all findings and determines the agencies’ accreditation status.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the usual CALEA Conference, where agencies are formally reviewed and awarded in person, was taken online to a virtual format. On Nov. 13, the CALEA Commission voted to approve reaccreditation of the Kent State Police Department. CALEA’s president and executive director will formally award the Kent State Police Department with accreditation, signifying excellence in public safety and commitment to community.
“The award reflects the commitment of the department and the university to provide professional, high-quality law enforcement services to the community,” Kent State Police Chief Dean Tondiglia said. “It is important for the community to know that our officers and staff are dedicated to providing law enforcement services in a professional, respectful and caring manner. Attaining CALEA accreditation status is one way for us to reassure the community that we are committed to following nationally recognized best practices and standards.”
In 1979, the commission was created through the combined efforts of four major law enforcement organizations: the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives, the National Sheriffs’ Association and the Police Executive Research Forum.
The purpose of the commission is to develop standards based on international best practices in public safety and to establish and administer the accreditation process. The accreditation process is how a public safety agency voluntarily demonstrates how it meets professionally recognized criteria for excellence in management and service delivery.
“This award of accreditation does not come easy,” said CALEA President Anthony Purcell, chief of police at the University of Alabama at Birmingham Police Department. “Agencies must go through a rigorous review and evaluation of their organization and then implement the necessary policy and procedure changes. The process does not stop at that point. By voluntarily choosing to seek CALEA accreditation, the agency commits to an ongoing review of adherence to CALEA’s standards. Each community with CALEA accredited agencies should feel confident that their public safety organization is going above and beyond and operating under the highest standards in public safety.”
For more information about the Kent State Police Department, visit www.kent.edu/police.
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Media Contacts:
Bill Buckbee, wbuckbee@kent.edu, 330-672-3070
Emily Vincent, evincen2@kent.edu, 330-672-8595