The Kent State University Police Department was recently reaccredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA). The recognition comes after a comprehensive review of the agency and marks the eighth time the department has received the accreditation award.
For the fifth time, the department also received the designation of Advanced Law Enforcement Accreditation with Excellence. The designation is given to select agencies to recognize their effective use of accreditation as a model for the delivery of enhanced public safety services and management professionalism.
Kent State Police also received Meritorious Award honors for being an accredited agency for more than 15 years. The department received its first CALEA accreditation in 1991, and at that time, it was one of the first national law enforcement agencies in Ohio and the second university police department in the United States to receive the designation. Today, the Kent State Police Department is one of only 79 university police agencies in the country that is accredited.
To receive accreditation, an agency must show evidence that it meets the nearly 500 CALEA standards that cover all facets of law enforcement management, operations and support functions. The commission represents all of the major law enforcement organizations including the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives, the National Sheriffs’ Association and the Police Executive Research Forum.
Dean Tondiglia, Kent State police chief and interim director of public safety, said meeting these standards requires the commitment of all department members.
“The officers are very committed to providing the community with outstanding police service, and they recognize the importance of accreditation in helping them achieve that goal,” Tondiglia said. “The accreditation process helps us ensure that the university community is receiving the most professional and comprehensive law enforcement services possible.”
For more information about the Kent State Police Department, visit www.kent.edu/police.
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Media Contacts:
Dean Tondiglia, dtondigl@kent.edu, 330-672-3070
Emily Vincent, evincen2@kent.edu, 330-672-8595