COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio State University Police Division (OSUPD) is seeking to renew its accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA®). OSUPD first gained CALEA law enforcement accreditation in 2013 and is currently one of 77 university agencies in the country to officially meet CALEA’s best practices of law enforcement standards.
“The safety of our campus community is our number one priority,” said OSUPD Chief Kimberly Spears-McNatt. “CALEA accreditation reaffirms our commitment building and maintaining trust with the community we serve through promising to uphold nationally recognized standards.”
The voluntary process to gain accreditation will look a little different this year as it will be conducted virtually to adhere to social distancing requirements. CALEA accreditation is a highly prized recognition of public safety professional excellence and includes verification by the assessors that OSUPD meets the commission’s state-of-the-art standards. As such, a team of assessors from CALEA will examine all aspects of police policy and procedures, management, operations and support services.
As part of the assessment, agency employees and members of the university community are invited to send written comments to the CALEA assessors via e-mail (calea@calea.org) or by mailing them to CALEA; 13575 Heathcote Boulevard, Suite 320, Gainesville, VA 20155. If, for some reason, an individual cannot send written comments but would like to speak to the assessment team, he or she may do so by telephone. Please call 614-292-3721 on May 5 between Noon and 1 p.m.
Telephone comments are limited to 10 minutes and must address the agency’s ability to comply with CALEA standards. A copy of the standards is available by emailing Officer Adam Tabor (tabor.4@osu.edu) or in person at Blankenship Hall (901 Woody Hayes Drive, Columbus, OH 43210).
Applying agencies must comply with 189 standards in order to gain accredited status.
The assessment team is comprised of public safety practitioners from similar, but out-of-state agencies. The assessors will review written materials, interview individuals, and visit offices and other locations, virtually, where compliance can be witnessed. The 2020 assessors are:
- Chief Linda Stump-Kurnick; University of Florida Police Department
- Assistant Chief Kevin Hall; Monroe Community College Department of Public Safety
“Once the CALEA assessors complete their review of the agency, they report back to the full commission, which will then decide if OSUPD will again be granted accredited status,” said Officer Adam Tabor, OSUPD’s accreditation manager.
CALEA accreditation lasts for four years, during which the agency must submit annual reports and other documents demonstrating continued compliance with those standards under which it was initially accredited.
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For information regarding the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. please write the commission at 13575 Heathcote Boulevard, Suite 320, Gainesville, VA 20155; or call 800-368-3757 or 703-352-4225 or email calea@calea.org.