The University of Tennessee Health Science Center’s Campus Police Department has been reaccredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA). Accreditation by CALEA is the gold standard for public safety agencies.
“I am extremely proud of our accomplishment at UTHSC Police on our four-year reaccreditation. I believe it speaks volumes, when we as a department, maintain the gold standard in public safety by way of the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA),” said UTHSC Campus Police Chief Anthony Berryhill. “CALEA sets you apart from other agencies who chose not to embark on this accreditation process, because it is voluntary and not a requirement.”
Reaccreditation is an ongoing performance review and is valid for four years. To accomplish reaccreditation, agencies must provide consistent reaccreditation maintenance including tracking agency performance, submitting annual reports to CALEA, and participating in assessments, including a site-based assessment. The UTHSC Campus Police Department received the reaccreditation award at the CALEA Conference earlier this month in Bellevue, Washington.
“Once the decision is made to achieve accreditation, it requires a focused and concentrated effort to obtain, as well as to retain. The leadership team working on this process learns a great deal on policy, procedure, and daily practices; this strengthens them on their professional development path,” Chief Berryhill said. “Officers are brought into the loop by being informed and challenged on their knowledge of these polices. The campus benefits, by having well-trained and informed officers, who are providing a service to the campus community, in a professional and caring manner. I am very proud of this department for all they accomplish, and for the intentional growth and development of all members of the UTHSC Police Department.”
Read more at our UTHSC news site.