For the fourth time, the University of Texas Medical Branch Police Department has been awarded national law enforcement accreditation by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA). Officials conduct on-site inspections, policy reviews and hearings before awarding the designation.
“This is a significant achievement for the institution as only 5% of law enforcement agencies in the US are nationally accredited and the UTMB PD is the only such agency in Galveston County,” said UTMB Police Chief Kenith Adcox. “I am exceedingly proud of the men and women who make up our PD team. Their continued commitment to excellence and best policing practices is commendable.”
The rigorous standards set forth by CALEA address a diversity of issues, including life, health and safety; legal and other critical requirements; and conditions that reduce major risk and high-liability exposures. Each standard required UTMB to develop written directives that met specific, detailed criteria and then assemble written documentation of compliance. The accreditation is reviewed for renewal every four years.
The CALEA program addresses a need to enhance law enforcement as a profession and to improve law enforcement service delivery. Accreditation is viewed as a key tool in:
- Providing the necessary reports and analyses a CEO needs to make fact-based, informed management decisions.
- Ensuring that a preparedness program is in place—so an agency is ready to address natural or man-made unusual occurrences.
- Developing or improving upon an agency’s relationship with the community.
- Strengthening an agency’s accountability, both within the agency and the community, through a continuum of standards that clearly define authority, performance, and responsibilities.
- Limiting an agency’s liability and risk exposure because it demonstrates that internationally recognized standards for law enforcement have been met, as verified by a team of independent outside CALEA-trained assessors.
- And in facilitating an agency’s pursuit of professional excellence.