The rigorous process highlights excellence in law enforcement.
The University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) Department of Police and Public Safety is recognized as being among the top law enforcement agencies after being reaccredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA). The department has been continuously accredited since November 1996.
The voluntary process ensures agencies follow a set of professionally recognized and internationally accepted law enforcement policies and procedures. According to CALEA, only 25 to 30 percent of law enforcement officers in the U.S. are employed by CALEA-accredited agencies.
“The process is important to making sure we keep up with evolving best practices in law enforcement,” says Thomas Leone, MSL, assistant vice president for public safety and chief of police. “Accreditation sets us apart as a national leader in public safety.”
To be accredited, UMB Police and Public Safety must continuously assess and comply with CALEA’s robust standards. Each year, CALEA reviews and assesses that the standards are being met by reviewing electronic records. Every four years, CALEA conducts a site visit.
Leone and Lt. Christopher Finn, who serves as the department’s accreditation manager, went before the commissioners at the CALEA Conference to respond to questions about the department. To be reaccredited, all departments are reviewed by the CALEA Commission in person. They then determine if departments will be recertified or not.
“The assessors [at the site visit] were impressed by our community policing model,” says Finn. “The commissioners commended the department for our good work.”
In May 2019, UMB Police and Public Safety also received accreditation from the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators (IACLEA). This rare dual accreditation further sets the department apart as a leader in public safety.
Read about UMB Police and Public Safety’s 2020 CALEA and IACLEA Accreditation.