LINCOLN, NE — A team of assessors from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA®), will arrive November 12th, 2017 to examine all aspects of the University of Nebraska Police Department’s policy and procedures, management, operations, and support services. Verification that the University Police Department (UPD) meets the Commission’s standards is part of a voluntary process to continue CALEA accreditation—a highly prized recognition of public safety professional excellence.
As part of the assessment, UPD personnel and members of the campus community are invited to offer comments at a public information session on Tuesday, November 14, 2017, at 10 a.m. The session will be conducted in the Ubuntu Room (Room 202) in the University’s Jackie Gaughan Multicultural Center, located at 1505 S Street on the University’s city campus.
As an alternative, persons may provide comments to the assessment team by telephone. The public may call 402-472-0234 on Monday, November 13 between the hours of 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. This call will be received on an unrecorded line to help ensure confidentiality.
Telephone comments as well as appearances at the public information session are limited to ten (10) minutes and must address the UPD’s ability to comply with CALEA Standards. The local contact is Accreditation/Compliance Manger Michael Maas, 402-472-8430 or mmaas2@unl.edu.
Persons wishing to offer written comments about the UPD’s ability to meet the standards for accreditation are requested to write: Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement, Inc. (CALEA®), 13575 Heathcote Boulevard, Suite 320 Gainesville, Virginia 20155.
Chief of Police Owen Yardley said that the UPD has to comply with almost 200 standards in order to gain accredited status. He went on to say “The University of Nebraska has a large influence throughout the state. Our work product has grown and expanded over the past decade as it continues to provide support to the University’s programs. It is important that we use best practices and continually reassess our procedures to be the best department, and resource, that we can. Sustained accreditation is a process that will allow us to recognize our strengths and strive for continued improvement.”
The assessment will be conducted by two professional assessors assigned by CALEA. The assessment will be led by Chief Thomas Johnson, retired as the Chief of Police of the Western Carolina University Police Department after serving as chief at a number of other university police departments, and assisted by Mr. Thomas Nesko, who is Air Force retired with over 18 years of CALEA accreditation experience.
Once the assessment is completed, the assessors will forward their report to the full commission, who will determine if re-accreditation is granted. Once granted, accreditation will be for four years, during which an agency must submit annual reports attesting 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 Boulevard, Suite 320 Gainesville, Virginia 20155; or call (703) 352-4225 or email calea@calea.org.