As part of the University of Chicago Police Department’s effort to become an accredited law enforcement agency through the Commission of Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, the UCPD will host an on-site assessment and a public information forum in April on issues relevant to accreditation.
This voluntary accreditation process requires the UCPD to be evaluated on its policies and procedures, management, operations and support services in order to achieve recognition from the accreditation agency. Participating in the accreditation process highlights the UCPD’s commitment to the highest professional police standards.
“Accreditation provides the incentive an agency needs to continually review existing policies and procedures while providing updated guidelines that are recognized by experts as the current standard,” said Marlon C. Lynch, Associate Vice President for Safety, Security, and Civic Affairs, and Chief of Police. "One of the most significant and immediately identified benefits of being an accredited agency is the complete review and rewriting of our General Order. Policies and procedures adopted and implemented based on national standards contribute greatly to consistency within a police department.”
As part of the accreditation process, a team of assessors from CALEA will visit the UCPD beginning April 1 to conduct an on-site assessment. During this time, department employees and members of the community can provide comments to the assessment team by calling (773) 834-1550 on April 2 between 2 and 4 p.m. A public information forum will also be held that day at 7 p.m. at the UCPD headquarters, 6054 S. Drexel Avenue, Room 009A, to allow anyone interested to speak directly with the CALEA assessors.
Telephone comments as well as appearances at the public information forum are limited to 10 minutes and must address the agency’s ability to comply with CALEA’s standards. To view a copy of the standards, contact Commander Ernie Knight at (773) 702-9747. To provide written comments about the University’s Police Department’s ability to meet the standards for accreditation, email calea@calea.org, or send a letter to:
Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA)
13575 Heathcote Boulevard, Suite 320
Gainesville, VA 20155
The assessment process will be conducted by William Buckbee, Assistant Chief of the Kent State University (Ohio) Police Department, and Joseph Spera, Director of Operations of the Drexel University (Penn.) Department of Public Safety. The assessors will review written materials, interview individuals and conduct a facility inspection for evidence of compliance. Once the Commission’s assessors complete their review, they will report back to the Commission. A decision on the UCPD’s accreditation status is expected in July at the CALEA conference. Accreditation is for three years, during which time the agency will submit annual reports documenting continued compliance with the standards.
For more information about CALEA, visit calea.org.
—Prof. Chuan He
