This document provides an overview of the accreditation process for the UNT Health Science Center Police Department. It discusses how the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) was established in 1979 by four law enforcement associations to improve public safety services through voluntary accreditation. The presentation educates personnel on what to expect during their upcoming 2014 on-site assessment. It outlines the standards agencies must meet around policies, accountability, community engagement, and more. It also describes how agencies provide proof of compliance through directives, documentation, interviews and observations during the on-site and commission review phases.

1. The Accreditation Process
UNT Health Science Center
Police Department

2. This presentation is intended
to:
 educate department personnel as to what
Accreditation is and what purpose it serves.
 advise department personnel on what to
expect during the next upcoming on-site
assessment, during 2014.

3. How Accreditation came to
be …
 CALEA was established in 1979 by four
law enforcement membership
associations:
IACP (International Association of Chiefs
of Police), NOBLE (National Organization
of Black Law Enforcement Executives),
NSA (National Sheriffs’ Association) and
PERF (Police Executive Research Forum)

4. In 1979 those entities formed
CALEA
Commission for the
Accreditation of
Law
Enforcement
Agencies

5. Who governs CALEA?
 A Commission Board composed of 21
members governs CALEA. Eleven must be law
enforcement practitioners; the balance is
selected from the public and private sectors.
Generally, they reflect a representation from
local, state/provincial and international law
enforcement and public safety organizations,
along with business, academia, the judiciary,
and state/provincial and local government.
The Commissioners are appointed by the four
founding law enforcement organizations, and
serve without compensation.

6. Purpose of Accreditation:
 To improve the delivery of public safety services,
primarily by:
◦ maintaining a body of standards, developed by
public safety practitioners, covering a wide
range of up-to-date public safety initiatives
◦ establishing and administering an accreditation
process
◦ recognizing professional excellence.

7. Specifically, CALEA’s goals are to:
 Strengthen crime prevention and control
capabilities
 Formalize essential management
procedures
 Establish fair and nondiscriminatory
personnel practices
 Improve service delivery
 Solidify interagency cooperation and
coordination
 Increase community and staff confidence
in the agency

8. Benefits of
Accreditation
 Set policies and procedures
 Greater accountability within the
Department
 Influence for change
 Community confidence and respect
 Reduced risk and liability exposure
 Stronger defense against civil lawsuits
 Professional Excellence

9. This Accreditation Program provides public safety
agencies an opportunity to voluntarily demonstrate
that they meet an established set of professional
standards which:
 Require an agency to develop a comprehensive, well thought out, uniform
set of written directives. This is one of the most successful methods for
reaching administrative and operational goals, while also providing direction
to personnel.
 Provide the necessary reports and analyses a CEO needs to make fact-based,
informed management decisions.
 Require a preparedness program be put in place—so an agency is ready to
address natural or man-made critical incidents.
 Are a means for developing or improving upon an agency's relationship with
the community.
 Strengthen an agency's accountability, both within the agency and the
community, through a continuum of standards that clearly define authority,
performance, and responsibilities.
 Can limit an agency's liability and risk exposure because it demonstrates
that internationally recognized standards for law enforcement have been
met, as verified by a team of independent outside CALEA-trained assessors.
 Facilitates an agency's pursuit of professional excellence.

10. How is Accreditation
accomplished ?
 Application
 Self Assessment
 On-Site Assessment – last On-site
March 2012
Commission Review and Decision
– awarded July 2012
 Maintaining Compliance and
Reaccreditation

11. How do we comply with
CALEA standards?
 By providing “proof” that our policies
and procedures are in compliance
with each Standard:
◦Written Directive
◦Documentation
◦ Interview
◦Observation

12. Proof of Compliance:
“Written Directive”
 Standard: 1.3.3 A written directive
governs the discharge of “warning”
shots.
 Proof: Copy of Policy

13. Proof of Compliance:
“Written Documentation”
 Standard: 42.1.1 – The criminal
investigations function provides 24-
hour service capabilities.
 Proof: Copy of on-call schedules for
Command Staff

14. Proof of Compliance:
“Observation”
 Standard: 81.2.2 - The agency has
continuous two-way communications
capability between communication
center and officers on duty.
 Proof:
◦ Observe (or photographs)
 officers handheld radios
 Mobile radios
 MDC’s

15. Proof of Compliance:
“Interviews”
 Standard: 34.1.1 - A written directive
defines the agency’s role in the
promotion process for sworn
personnel.
 Proof: Interview
◦ Human Resource Rep.
◦ Capt. Support Services

16. Accreditation Files
There are 480 Standards, many
have multiple bullets (over 1060)
 One file for each Standard
 Provide Written Directives and
Written Documentation
 Proof for each bullet

17. On–site Assessment
 In March of 2012, CALEA sent Assessors
to our Department.
 Two Assessors looked at all proofs of
compliance, in detail, including
interviews, ride-alongs and general
observation. Some proofs were mailed
to the Assessors in advance of the On-site.
 The Assessors focus on the set up of
systems.

18. And finally:
Commission approval
 Our Department went before the
Committee of Commissioners in July of
2012 to review the Assessors Final Report.
At that time, the Commissioners could 1)
approve Accreditation 2) decline
Accreditation, or 3) establish conditions. We
were proud to find that they APPROVED
ACCREDITATION for our Department.

19. What happens next,
provided we obtain
Accreditation?
 Our Department has now begun the file
maintenance process for the next three
year cycle (2012, 2013, 2014)

20. Texas currently has 27 accredited agencies and 10
agencies in the Self-assessment phase. There are 8
accredited colleges/universities in Texas and 59
accredited colleges/universities in the United States.
 Accredited Local
Agencies
◦ Arlington PD
◦ Burleson PD
◦ DeSoto PD
◦ Flower Mound PD
◦ Frisco PD
◦ Highland Park DPS
◦ Hurst PD
◦ Keller PD
◦ Plano PD
◦ Southlake DPS
 Accredited Texas Universities
◦ St. Edward’s Univ. PD
◦ Univ. of Houston – Clear Lake PD
◦ UNT HSC PD
◦ UNT PD
◦ Univ. of Texas Austin PD
◦ Univ. of Texas Houston PD
◦ Univ. of Texas San Antonio PD
◦ Univ. of Texas Medical Branch PD

21. The United States
currently has 555
Accredited agencies and
213 agencies in the Self-assessment
phase.
There are also Accredited
agencies in Canada,
Mexico, and Barbados

22. Any questions ?
Please feel free to come by my office, or call
extension 5154.
Thank you, Jonathan Grose