2008 Woodie Awards
Police try for accreditation
University police participate in optional program of safety
Samantha Zilai
- Page 1 of 1
To serve, protect and be held accountable. That is the goal of the Ball State University Police Department in undergoing a voluntary accreditation program through Commission of Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, said Gene Burton, director of public safety.
CALEA is comprised of members of law enforcement from both the public and private sectors, according to its Web site. A set of 446 standards was established by CALEA, said Tim Fitch, an assessor for the organization.
Departments interested in becoming accredited submit an application, undergo a self-assessment and are evaluated by assessors to determine how well the standards are met, Fitch said.
The multi-step process is designed to ensure the police department continually works toward the established goals and standards of CALEA, Burton said.
Ball State is currently at the on-site review portion of the accreditation process and, Burton said, the university will know in November if it has been approved.
At the start of the process, Ball State was the only university in Indiana that was attempting to become accredited. However, Burton said he now knows of at least two other universities that have begun the process: Purdue University and Indiana University Purdue University at Indianapolis.
Burton said he was not saddened by the fact that Ball State was not the only university seeking accreditation.
"It's a good feeling to be perfectly honest," he said. "Leading your peers instead of following."
If Ball State receives an accreditation Burton said not very much will change within the department. The standards of CALEA are already engrained into the University Police Department's policy and procedures manual.
Fitch said assessors have numerous methods of evaluating departmental methods when reviewing schools requesting accreditation. Some techniques of reviewing a department, Fitch said, were to talk to individuals, inspect or test the equipment being used and attend public forums to hear the community's opinion of the department.
Accreditation is not easy, Fitch said only 7 percent of the 14,000 law enforcement agencies across the U.S. are accredited.
Once the honor is received, Burton said it must be renewed after three years.
"It is a very, very thorough process and it really forces the department to look at all aspects of its job and what they do," Burton said. "I've been very happy with the results and what we've been able to learn from the process."
CALEA is comprised of members of law enforcement from both the public and private sectors, according to its Web site. A set of 446 standards was established by CALEA, said Tim Fitch, an assessor for the organization.
Departments interested in becoming accredited submit an application, undergo a self-assessment and are evaluated by assessors to determine how well the standards are met, Fitch said.
The multi-step process is designed to ensure the police department continually works toward the established goals and standards of CALEA, Burton said.
Ball State is currently at the on-site review portion of the accreditation process and, Burton said, the university will know in November if it has been approved.
At the start of the process, Ball State was the only university in Indiana that was attempting to become accredited. However, Burton said he now knows of at least two other universities that have begun the process: Purdue University and Indiana University Purdue University at Indianapolis.
Burton said he was not saddened by the fact that Ball State was not the only university seeking accreditation.
"It's a good feeling to be perfectly honest," he said. "Leading your peers instead of following."
If Ball State receives an accreditation Burton said not very much will change within the department. The standards of CALEA are already engrained into the University Police Department's policy and procedures manual.
Fitch said assessors have numerous methods of evaluating departmental methods when reviewing schools requesting accreditation. Some techniques of reviewing a department, Fitch said, were to talk to individuals, inspect or test the equipment being used and attend public forums to hear the community's opinion of the department.
Accreditation is not easy, Fitch said only 7 percent of the 14,000 law enforcement agencies across the U.S. are accredited.
Once the honor is received, Burton said it must be renewed after three years.
"It is a very, very thorough process and it really forces the department to look at all aspects of its job and what they do," Burton said. "I've been very happy with the results and what we've been able to learn from the process."
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