The Old Dominion University Police Department recently earned reaccreditation from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) by a unanimous vote.
CALEA accreditation is considered the national gold standard in law enforcement accreditation and embodies the precepts of community-oriented engagement. Of the approximately 18,000 law enforcement agencies in the United States, only 4.3% are CALEA-accredited. Only 2.2% of the roughly 4,000 university police agencies have this recognition. Additionally, the ODUPD is the only non-municipal law enforcement agency Hampton Roads that is CALEA accredited and is one of only four that possess the Advanced “Tier 2” Law Enforcement Accreditation.
ODU received its reaccreditation after a final CALEA review committee hearing on July 29. The committee reviewed the last four years of ODUPD’s progress/status reports and the on-site review report completed by Zandral Washington, deputy chief of police for the University of Alabama at Birmingham. A review by independent subject-matter experts found the ODUPD was in 100% compliance with CALEA's standards and best practices.
The ODUPD first received CALEA accreditation in May 2019.
ODU Police Chief Garrett Shelton and Lt. Christopher Buie, who served as ODUPD’s accreditation manager, participated in a final review committee hearing.
“Inviting and welcoming the auditing and evaluation of our operations to ensure we are serving our community to the best of our ability shows our consistency, commitment and ongoing focus on increasing community confidence in the policies and practices of our department,” Shelton said. “Obtaining CALEA accreditation is a testament to the professionalism and excellence our staff provides every day.”
CALEA accreditation is awarded for four years. During this time, ODUPD will undergo annual reviews gauging its continued compliance with CALEA’s standards.
CALEA was formed in 1979 through the efforts of the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives, the National Sheriff’s Association and the Police Executive Research Forum. The commission develops and assesses law enforcement standards and administers the accreditation process through which agencies voluntarily demonstrate that they meet professionally recognized criteria for excellence in management and service delivery.