Accreditation Assessment Team to Review UAPD Policies and Procedures

A team of assessors from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies Inc. (CALEA), will arrive on campus April 30 to examine all aspects of the University of Arkansas Police Department’s policies and procedures, management, operation, and support services.

As part of the on-site assessment, agency employees and members of the community are invited to offer comments at a public information session at 7 p.m. Monday, April 30, 2012. The session will be conducted in the media room at Bud Walton Arena located at 1240 W. Leroy Pond Drive on the University of Arkansas campus.

“Verification by the CALEA team that our department meets the commission’s state-of-the-art standards is part of a voluntary process to gain accreditation, a highly prized recognition of law enforcement professional excellence,” said UAPD director Steve Gahagans.

This is the sixth on-site assessment for the department since it was first accredited by CALEA in July, 1995. At that time UAPD became the first nationally accredited law enforcement agency in the State of Arkansas.

Any member of the public who can’t speak at the public information session but would still like to provide comments to the assessment team can do so by calling 479-249-2188 on Tuesday, May 1 between the hours of 1 and 5 p.m.

Telephone comments as well as appearances at the public information session are limited to 10 minutes and must address the agency’s ability to comply with CALEA’s standards. A copy of the standards is available at the University of Arkansas Police department. Sgt. Michael R. Oakes is the accreditation program manager for the UAPD and can be contacted at 479-575-3293 or by email at mroakes@uark.edu.

Anyone wishing to offer written comments about the UAPD’s ability to meet the standards for accreditation are asked to write: Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Inc., 13575 Heathcote Blvd., Suite 320, Gainesville, VA 20155.

The University of Arkansas Police Department has to comply with 480 standards in order to gain accredited status.

“Maintaining accredited status is important,” Gahagans said. “It ensures that the professional, community-oriented policing services, which have come to be expected by members of the University of Arkansas community are maintained.”

The CALEA assessment team is composed of law enforcement practitioners from similar but out-of-state agencies. The assessors will review written materials, interview individuals, and visit offices and other places where compliance can be witnessed. Once the commission’s assessors complete their review of the agency, they report back to the full commission, which will then decide if the agency is to be granted accredited status. The assessors’ names have not yet been released by the CALEA office. Accreditation is for three years, during which the agency must submit annual reports attesting to continued compliance with those standards under which it was initially accredited.

For more information regarding the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. please write the Commission at 13575 Heathcote Blvd., Suite 320 Gainesville, VA 20155; call 1-703-890-3126 or email at calea@calea.org.