In its 50th year, the department has received reaccreditation through November 2028 from CALEA and IACLEA.
This story is one in a series celebrating UMB Police and Public Safety’s 50-year history, the milestones that shaped us, and the work we continue today.
Baltimore is the City of Firsts, and the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) Department of Police and Public Safety leads the city, state, and country in community-focused policing initiatives. Long before adopting a comfort K9 and creating a co-responder model with the University of Maryland School of Social Work, the department became Baltimore City’s sole accredited police department.
UMB Police and Public Safety first received the honor from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) in 1996. At the time, UMB was one of just 18 accredited university police departments in the country.
“It's meeting 100 percent of what's required," former Chief John J. Collins said in a 1997 article in The Voice, UMB’s newsletter at the time. "It's not like you can get 70 percent of everything right and get a passing grade. CALEA doesn't bestow accreditation on just any agency.”
In 2025, the department received reaccreditation from CALEA. Now, it is also reaccredited through the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators (IACLEA). IACLEA standards are specific to universities, including Title IX, student safety, and Clery alerts and warnings.
Assistant Vice President for Public Safety and Chief of Police Thomas Leone, MSL, and Lt. Christopher Finn, who is responsible for accreditation, will travel to Atlanta this month to go before the IACLEA board — the final step in the reaccreditation process. The pair went before the CALEA board in November.
“Dual accreditation is a big deal,” says Leone. “Fewer than 100 agencies have IACLEA accreditation, and dual accreditation is even rarer. Our UMB Public Safety team really is in a league of their own.”
Accreditation is a rigorous — but voluntary — process. The department must continuously meet hundreds of standards.
"Our accreditation speaks volumes about our credibility and says to the community that we are a top-notch department," says Jim Nestor, who served as director of public safety and chief of police in 2001 when the department was first reaccredited. At that time, it was one of just 25 accredited university police departments in the nation.
In 2005, UMB was one of 36 university police departments in the country to be accredited. In 2014, the department received a meritorious accreditation.
“We’re a leader in policing. We’ve always been a leader,” says Leone. “As our department celebrates 50 years, we can look back on our past accomplishments and can see how they help shape our continued success.”
The department’s dual reaccreditation through CALEA and IACLEA runs through November 2028.