On Saturday August 9, 2025, the University of Chicago Police Department (UCPD) was re-accredited with Advanced Law Enforcement Accreditation by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA) at their 135th training conference. This is UCPD’s fourth Advanced Law Enforcement Accreditation award, which the department first achieved in 2014.
The University of Chicago Police Department is one of only 87 university police departments in the US currently accredited by CALEA. UCPD is the only CALEA-accredited private university police department in the Great Lakes Region.
In April, an assessor from CALEA completed the final component of an Agency Assessment, examining and auditing all aspects of the Department’s policies and procedures, management, operations, and support services over the last four years. Verification that the University of Chicago Police Department meets the Commission’s stringent standards, conducted by remote and site-based assessors, is part of a voluntary process to gain accreditation. It is a highly prized recognition of law enforcement professional excellence.
The site-based assessment was conducted by Mark Brooks, Retired Chief of Police of Marion, North Carolina. The remote and site-based assessors reviewed written materials, interviewed key personnel, reviewed public feedback, and conducted a facility inspection for evidence of compliance.
“Receiving the CALEA re-accreditation again shows that the members of the UCPD perform their duties to the highest standards set in law enforcement today,” said Eric M. Heath, the University of Chicago’s Associate Vice President for Safety & Security. “I am proud of the hard work required of our officers and staff to achieve this designation, and we will continue this level of service and commitment to our community in order to maintain our accreditation status.”
Accreditation is for four years, during which time the agency is reviewed remotely on an annual basis, and must submit annual reports and documentation of continuing compliance with standards.
For information regarding the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, visit www.calea.org or call (800) 368-3757 or (703) 352-4225.