PHILADELPHIA — The University of Pennsylvania’s Police Department has been awarded international accreditation through the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies Inc. and was selected as a “flagship agency” among its peers.

To earn accreditation, UPPD was required to comply with 463 standards, codes and state-of-the-art practices.

“Retaining CALEA accreditation is a voluntary process,” Maureen Rush, vice president for public safety at Penn, said. “Only 46 other campus police agencies and 592 other law-enforcement organizations across the U.S. have attained this highly prized recognition. Earning this accreditation for the third time in a row and being chosen as a flagship agency demonstrates that UPPD continually exceeds a standard of excellence in law enforcement.”

After a rigorous three-day, on-site assessment of policies and procedures, administration, operations and support services, CALEA officials concluded that the UPPD surpassed the required standards and designated UPPD as a “flagship agency,” one that exemplifies outstanding professionalism and community relations. The evaluation process also included a town hall meeting that was open to members of the community and a ride-along with UPPD officers to observe daily routines.

“Earning the accredited status illustrates that Penn’s Police Department follows a model of distinction that’s ingrained in our day-to-day activities,” said Gary Heller, the commanding officer of UPPD’s Accreditation and Training Unit.

UPPD is the only university police department in Pennsylvania to have received accreditation.

“This prestigious recognition highlights the efforts of the dedicated members of UPPD and how they are always working to fulfill the local engagement principle in the Penn Compact,” Mark Dorsey, Penn chief of police, said. “We are proud of this achievement and remain focused on our goal of being the best that we can be for our community.”