Campus & Community

Accreditation Assessment Team Invites Public To Comment

Thursday, January 3, 2019, By News Staff

A team of assessors from the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators (IACLEA) will arrive on campus Sunday, Feb. 3, to examine all aspects of the Syracuse University Department of Public Safety’s (DPS) policy and procedures, management, operation and support services, Chief Bobby Maldonado announced today.

“Verification by the team that DPS meets IACLEA’s state-of-the-art standards is part of a voluntary process to gain accreditation—a highly prized recognition of campus public safety professional excellence,” Maldonado said.

Members of the University community, agency employees and the public are invited to offer comments by calling 315.443.0131 on Monday, Feb. 4, between the hours of 10 a.m. and noon. Comments will be taken by the assessment team.

Telephone comments must address the department’s ability to comply with IACLEA’s standards. The IACLEA accreditation standards manual is available on the IACLEA website at www.iaclea.org.

Anyone wishing to submit written comments about the Syracuse University Department of Public Safety’s ability to comply with the standards for accreditation may send them to IACLEA Accreditation, 1110 Bonifant Street, Suite 330, Silver Spring, MD 20910.

“DPS has to comply with numerous standards in order to achieve accredited status,” Maldonado said. “We look forward to demonstrating that the Department of Public Safety not only meets, but exceeds, nationally recognized law enforcement standards and practices. We are proud to have been accredited in the past and look forward to reaccreditation in the near future.”

DPS accreditation manager and detective Christopher Wood said that the assessment team is composed of experienced campus law enforcement professionals from other campus law enforcement agencies inside and outside of New York State. The assessors will review written materials, interview individuals and inspect facilities where compliance can be witnessed. The assessors include Chief Gerald W. Schoenle Jr., team leader, and Lieutenant Bruce Holt, of the Brown University Police Department. “Once the assessors complete their review of the department, they will report back to IACLEA, which will then decide if the department is to be granted accredited status,” Wood said.

Accreditation is for four years, during which the department must submit annual reports attesting to continued compliance with those standards under which it was initially accredited.