Eastern Washington University Police Department is inviting public comment during its initial accreditation process through IACLEA.
A team of assessors from the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators (IACLEA) will arrive April 27 to examine all aspects of the Eastern Washington University Police Department policy and procedures, management, operation, and support services, Chief Jewell Day announced today.
Verification by the team that the EWU Police Department 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, he said.
On Monday, April 29, University members, agency employees and the public are invited to offer comments, from 1:30-3:30 p.m., by calling 509.359.4866. 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.
Anyone wishing to submit written comments about the EWU Police Department’s ability to comply with the standards for accreditation may email them to jmurphy@iaclea.org.
The EWU Police Department is required to comply with 227 standards in order to achieve accredited status, Chief Jewell Day said. “IACLEA accreditation legitimizes us as an agency, and demonstrates to the public that we are utilizing industry best practices in the delivery of police services,” added Day.
The accreditation manager for the EWU Police Department is Deputy Chief Sean O’Laughlin. He said the assessment team is composed of experienced campus law enforcement professionals from out-of-state. The assessors will review written materials, interview individuals, and inspect facilities where compliance can be witnessed. 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, Deputy Chief O’Laughlin 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.
**Contact: Deputy Chief Sean O’Laughlin, EWU Police Department accreditation manager at 509.359.6012 or solaughlin@ewu.edu.
