Accreditation assessment team invites public to comment

A team of assessors from the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators (IACLEA) will start on Nov. 5 an assessment to examine all aspects of the University of Cincinnati Police Division and procedures, management, operation and support services, Director of Public Safety and Chief of Police Eliot Isaac announced today.

Verification by the team that the UCPD meets IACLEA’s state-of-the-art standards is part of a voluntary process to gain accreditation — a highly prized recognition of campus public safety professional excellence, Isaac said.

University members, agency employees and the public are invited to offer comments by calling 805-587-8940 on Nov. 6 between the hours of 1-3 p.m. Comments will be taken by the Assessment Team.

Telephone comments must address the department’s ability to comply with IACLEA’s standards. The IACLEA Accreditation Standards Manual is available on the IACLEA website.

Anyone wishing to submit written comments about the UCPD’s ability to comply with the standards for accreditation may send them to jmurphy@iaclea.org

The UCPD has to comply with 227 standards, in order to achieve accredited status, Isaac said. “The UCPD was first accredited four years ago. Maintaining this accreditation is just one way that our agency ensures we hold ourselves to the highest standards in university law enforcement.”

The accreditation manager for the UCPD is Chief of Staff John DeJarnette. He said the assessment team is composed of experienced campus law enforcement professionals from out of state. The assessors will review written materials, interview individuals and inspect facilities where compliance can be witnessed. The assessors are: California State University retired Captain Scott Garrett VanScoy, team leader, and University of Texas Health San Antonio Police Department Police Officer Evelyn Castilleja. Once the assessors complete their review of the department, they will report back to IACLEA, which will then decide if the department is to be granted accredited status, DeJarnette said.

Accreditation is for four years, during which the department must submit annual reports attesting to continued compliance with those standards under which it was initially accredited.