Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc.
The role of a professional organization is serving its clients; our role is serving the members of the university community. The manner in which the North Carolina A&T State University Police Department conducts business, operationally as well as administratively, must be consistent with professionally accepted practices and ideals. The members of the university community are entitled to a professional department. It is for this reason that we have voluntarily sought accreditation by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA)
Accreditation is a method to ensure that the North Carolina A&T State University Police Department is in compliance with national and international standards covering all aspects of law enforcement policies, procedures, practices, and operations. Accreditation makes a statement to other law enforcement agencies, professions, and the university community that the North Carolina A&T State University Police Department meets the highest standards of professionalism. The Professional Standards Division assures departmental compliance with the professional standards set forth by CALEA.
Accreditation demonstrates the department’s commitment to provide the students, faculty, and staff of N.C. A&T the high standard of services of a public safety department recognized for meeting national professional standards. CALEA initially accredited the North Carolina A&T State University Police Department in 2006. The department completed its fourth on-site assessment for re-accreditation in February 2022. The North Carolina A&T State University Police Department has been recognized as the first HBCU (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) to receive this prestigious recognition.
The Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies was organized through the combined efforts of the International Association of Chiefs of Police, National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives, National Sheriff’s Association, and the Police Executive Research Forum. These organizations continue to serve in an advisory capacity to the Commission and are responsible for appointing members of the Commission’s Board. The Commission was formed to develop a set of law enforcement standards and to establish and administer an accreditation process through which law enforcement agencies could demonstrate voluntarily that they meet professionally recognized criteria for excellence in management and service delivery.
The period of accredited status for the North Carolina A&T State University Police Department is three years. During this time, our agency must submit annual reports that document continuing compliance with applicable standards. Our agency has applied for reaccreditation, which will be determined by continuing the self-assessment process and successfully submitting the agency for another onsite inspection every 3 years. The achievement of accreditation for the department has resulted in improvements in structure, leadership, organization, general direction, and accountability. The process of intensive self-assessment has united the department in its commitment to serve the university community through well-written policies and procedures, objective management, and conscious recognition of the need for law enforcement professionalism.