PHILADELPHIA -- The University of Pennsylvania Police Department (UPPD) received national accreditation through the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA), at CALEA spring conference held in Greensboro, North Carolina this past weekend. The University of Pennsylvania Police Department becomes the first nationally accredited campus police agency within the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Twenty eight other campus police agencies across the United States are also currently accredited by CALEA.

The department achieved accreditation after a review conducted by a CALEA team of assessors that analyzed all aspects of the UPPD policy and procedures, management, operations, and support services, said Maureen Rush, Chief of Police and Interim Vice President for Public Safety at Penn.

Verification by the team that the UPPD met the Commission state-of-the-art standards was part of a voluntary process to gain accreditation a highly prized recognition of law enforcement professional excellence, Rush noted.

"By obtaining accredited status, the UPPD is now among an elite group of professional law enforcement agencies that have demonstrated excellence and professionalism in the delivery of law enforcement services to the communities they serve," Rush said.

The UPPD had to comply with 439 standards in order to gain accredited status, according to Karen B. Shepard, CALEA Accreditation Program Manager for the UPPD.

According to Shepard, the assessment team was comprised of law enforcement practitioners from similar but out-of-state agencies. The assessors reviewed written materials, interviewed individuals, and visited offices and other places where compliance was observed. Once the Commission assessors completed their review of the agency, they reported back to the full Commission, which then granted the UPPD accredited status at the Greensboro meeting.

Chief Rush, along with Deputy Chief of Operations Michael J. Fink, Accreditation Manager Sergeant Gary Heller, and Community Relations Officer Stacey Livingston attended the conference and accepted the award on behalf of the entire department.

For more information regarding the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. please write the Commission at 10306 Eaton Place, Suite 320, Fairfax, Virginia, 22030-2201; or call (800) 368-3757 or (703) 352-4225.