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The Department of Public Safety has been reaccredited by the Commission on
Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) Inc.
The commission took the action Dec. 2 during its quarterly meeting in
Burlington, Vt. Representing the University were Director of Public Safety
Chief Derek K. Poarch; Maj. Jeff McCracken, deputy director; Capt. Ollie
Bowler, professional standards commander; and Jackie Overton, staff development
specialist.
Reaccreditation ends an exhaustive five-year review of policies and procedures
conducted by the department since its initial accreditation in 1995, the
submission of annual reports made to the commission and ongoing compliance with
439 commission law enforcement standards. Carolina is one of only 27 accredited
university and college public safety agencies in the United States.
"This achievement reflects the dedication of all our employees who worked so
hard to get us prepared," Poarch said. "Receiving reaccreditation from CALEA is
consistent with our departmental vision of being the best public safety
department in the country. We will diligently continue to pursue that vision in
the future through interaction with CALEA and by providing quality,
customer-focused, community-oriented services to the University community."
Added Associate Vice Chancellor for Business and Finance Carolyn Elfland, "In
combination with our progressive community-oriented policing philosophy and
such crucial initiatives as our pedestrian safety campaign, CALEA accreditation
reflects the success of public safety's efforts to remain on the cutting edge
of law enforcement excellence."
Nearing the end of its initial five-year accreditation period, the department
last August hosted a review by assessors that resulted in a favorable overall
recommendation for reaccreditation. At the commission's meeting representatives
presented their response to the assessors' suggestions, and the 21-member
commission voted to award Carolina reaccreditation.
The commission was formed in 1979 through the combination of several major law
enforcement organizations, which still serve in an advisory capacity. The
commission was established to develop a set of standards and to coordinate the
accreditation process of compliance with professionally recognized criteria for
excellence in management and delivery of law enforcement services. Aside from
the recognition of having achieved an internationally accepted standard of
excellence, benefits of CALEA accreditation include controlled liability
insurance costs, administrative improvements, greater accountability from
supervisors, and increased governmental and community involvement.
"Reaccreditation marks the end of a long process, but it doesn't end here,"
McCracken said. "While it's something we're all proud of, we look forward to
the continued challenge of achieving the highest possible standards of
excellence in the future."
The accreditation runs for three years, when the commission again will review
the University.
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