An assessment team from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. will examine all aspects of Vanderbilt University Public Safety’s policies and procedures, management, operations and support services as part of an accreditation process that occurs every four years.
“Vanderbilt University Public Safety must comply with 670 standards in order to gain accredited status,” Senior Associate Vice Chancellor and Chief of Police August Washington said. “We strive to be an exemplary leader in the field of law enforcement in both the state of Tennessee and nationally. In pursuit of excellence in our service to the Vanderbilt community, it is vital that we not become complacent, but instead continuously embody best practices through compliance with CALEA’s law enforcement and dispatch accreditations.”
As part of the assessment, VUPS personnel and members of the community are invited to offer comments, commendations and other information regarding the agency’s quality of service, or information relevant to the accreditation process, via a public access portal.
Visit the CALEA portal to submit comments regarding VUPS.
VUPS maintains two accreditations through CALEA—one focuses on law enforcement while the other is for the VUPS dispatch center. To receive CALEA accreditation, a highly prized recognition of public safety professional excellence, VUPS must demonstrate full compliance with all law enforcement and dispatch standards.
VUPS first earned accreditation from CALEA in 2009. The accreditation period lasts four years, during which time VUPS must submit annual reports and participate in annual web-based file reviews with CALEA-certified assessors attesting to continued compliance with the standards under which VUPS was initially accredited. Additionally, an on-site visit by CALEA assessors will be conducted in June culminating the end of the four-year accreditation period.