FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies Inc. has reaccredited the University of Arkansas Police Department for the fourth time in the past 11 years. The commission found that UAPD met its strict, state-of-the-art standards for professional excellence in law enforcement.

The reaccreditation comes after a team of assessors visited the UA campus in April and conducted a thorough review of the department’s policies, procedures, management, operation, and support services. The assessors made their report to the full commission, which voted this summer to renew the department’s accreditation.

Accreditation by CALEA goes only to law enforcement agencies that “have taken extraordinary steps to demonstrate their professionalism and pride in delivering quality law enforcement service to their communities,” according to a statement from CALEA’s executive director, Sylvester Daughtry Jr.

CALEA is an independent, nonprofit organization that maintains a body of professional law enforcement standards and administers a voluntary process for agencies that seek accreditation.  CALEA was founded by the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives, the National Sheriff’s Association and the Police Executive Research Forum. The commission is made up of police chiefs, sheriffs, elected officials and community leaders appointed by the four founding organizations.

UAPD first received CALEA accreditation in 1995. At the time it was the only Arkansas law enforcement agency accredited by the organization. Since that time the police departments in Little Rock, Fort Smith and Conway have also earned accreditation from CALEA.