After an exhaustive four-day review by two members of the national Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA) the UNH Police Department learned late last week that it continues to meet professional law enforcement standards and assessors will recommend the agency be awarded reaccreditation.

The accreditation process requires agencies to comply with standards in four basic areas: policy and procedures, administration, operation, and support services. The UNH Police Department was first granted recognition status in 2004, followed by full CALEA accreditation in 2007, and reaccreditation in 2010. In addition, the department was accredited by the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administration (IACLEA) in 2008.

During the review the department demonstrated to the assessors that it continues to comply with more than 400 professional standards.

“We were very impressed with what we saw here,” said Tom Johnson, one of the two on-site assessors. “The enthusiasm of the employees and their commitment is commendable. “This department has good policies in place, a good foundation for planning, good partnerships with other offices on campus, and provides good support to its dispatchers.”

Johnson also noted that the department has physical fitness policies in place that help officers and dispatchers deal with the stress of the job as well as good training opportunities.

“One thing that really stood out to me was this department’s efforts around crime prevention and community involvement,” Johnson said. “Sixteen people called in during the public session – community members, representatives from the attorney general’s office, from U.S. senators’ offices – and some places no one calls or attends the public forums.”

Bill Buckbee, the second assessor, praised the department. “This agency lives accreditation. I was impressed with the enthusiasm of the officers, especially when I walked through the community. The students and the employees are very connected to the department, and that’s not something you can fake.”

“This agency refuses to do something just to get accredited, but rather uses the process to help serve the community better,” Buckbee said.

Mark Rubinstein, the university’s vice president of student and academic services, thanked the assessors. “What you’ve said is what we’ve believed but it is important to have outside validation.”

A final vote on the accreditation recommendation will be taken by the commission this summer.