On March 24, 2018, the Washington University Police Department achieved Accreditation through the Commission of Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA). WUPD was awarded it’s first re-accreditation on 4/2/2022, following a CALEA Commission Review Hearing in Orlando, Florida.
What is CALEA?
The Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) is a voluntary, non-governmental agency forged in 1979 by the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), the National Association of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE), the National Sheriff’s Association (NSA) and the police Executive Research Forum (PERF) to create a body of standards which further the professional level of service offered by law enforcement agencies.
The CALEA Accreditation process is a proven modern management model which provides agencies a blueprint that promotes the efficient use of resources and improves service delivery.
Pursuing accreditation helps establish fair and nondiscriminatory personnel practices, formalize important management procedures and boost community and staff confidence in the agency.
WUPD’s Process
WUPD is now in our third assessment cycle, which runs December 2021-November 2025. CALEA conducts annual remote reviews of the accreditation files, leading up to an on-site visit in the fourth year. During the on-site visit, assessors will conduct physical inspections of the Department, interact with WUPD staff members and engage community members.
Learn more about the accreditation process (PDF).
Accreditation Public Comment Portal
The purpose of this public portal is to receive comments regarding an agency’s compliance with CALEA standards, engagement in the service community, delivery of public safety services, and overall candidacy for accredited status. These comments can be in the form of commendations or concerns. The overall intent of the accreditation process is to provide the participating agency with information to support continuous improvement, as well as foster the pursuit of professional excellence.
IMPORTANT: CALEA is not an investigatory body and subsequently the public portal should not be used to submit information for such purposes. Additionally, there will be no response other than acknowledgement to submissions; however, the information will be considered in context to its relevancy to compliance with standards and the tenets of CALEA® Accreditation.