MARCH 31, 2020

ACCREDITATION ASSESSMENT TEAM INVITES PUBLIC COMMENT

A team of assessors from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA) will be conducting an assessment of the University of Chicago Police Department (UCPD) beginning Monday, April 12, 2021, examining all aspects of the UCPD’s policies and procedures, management, operations, and support services. The assessment is part of the voluntary process required to be reaccredited with CALEA Advanced Law Enforcement Accreditation, a recognition of law enforcement professional excellence. The UCPD achieved their initial accreditation in 2014, and it is the only university police department in Illinois that is CALEA accredited.

As part of the assessment, agency employees and members of the community are invited to offer comments to the assessment team. The public may speak to an assessor by calling 773.834.4755 between 12:30-2:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 13, 2021. Following the call-in session, a public information forum will be held virtually at 3 p.m. on April 13. People who are interested in providing comment to the CALEA assessors during the forum should register in advance by emailing, knighte@uchicago.edu.

Telephone comments, as well as comments at the public information forum, are limited to five minutes and are asked to address the UCPD’s ability to comply with CALEA’s standards. An overview of the CALEA process, including the titles of standards, can be found on CALEA’s website at www.calea.org. A copy of the standards is available at UCPD headquarters for review. Contact Commander Ernie Knight at 773.702.9747 for information. Comments regarding the UCPD’s ability to meet the standards for accreditation may also be sent to: Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA), 13575 Heathcote Boulevard, Suite 320 Gainesville, Va., 20155, or emailed to calea@calea.org.

The assessment process will be conducted by Major Carolyn Consoli, University of Maryland Police Department, and Captain Amy Schreiner, University of Alabama at Birmingham Police Department. The assessors will review written materials, interview individuals, and take a virtual tour of the facility, for evidence of compliance. Once the assessors complete their review, they will report back to CALEA. CALEA will then determine whether the UCPD will again be granted accreditation status. Re-accreditation is for four years, during which time the agency will submit annual documentation demonstrating continued compliance with standards.

For more information about CALEA, contact 800.368.3757 or 703.352.4225.

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