Beginning Oct. 15, 2023, a team of assessors from the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators (IACLEA) will review all aspects of the Anne Arundel Community College Department of Public Safety and Police.
“This three-day process will examine the department’s policies and procedures, management, operations, and support services,” Chief Sean Kapfhammer said. AACC initially earned IACLEA accreditation in 2008 and was the first community college in the country to do so. This is the department’s fourth reaccreditation.
Verification by the assessment team that a campus law enforcement agency 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.
“The Department of Public Safety and Police has to comply with 227 standards in order to achieve accredited status,” Kapfhammer said. “Accreditation lets the community know that our agency conducts itself professionally and employs best practices for campus law enforcement and public safety.”
College community members, agency employees and the public are invited to offer comments by calling 410-777-2049 on Oct. 16, 2023 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Comments will be taken directly by the Assessment Team. Telephone comments should address the department’s ability to comply with IACLEA’s standards.
The IACLEA Accreditation Standards Manual is available online. Anyone wishing to submit written comments about the Department of Public Safety and Police’s ability to comply with the standards for accreditation may send an email to Jerry Murphy, the IACLEA Director of Professional Services at jmurphy@iaclea.org or a written letter to 520 S. Walnut St., Box 2388, Bloomington, IN 47402-2388.
The accreditation manager for the Department of Public Safety and Police is Sgt. Stephen Shepet. Shepet stated 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 observed. This accreditation assessment will be conducted virtually, utilizing video calls, telephone calls and an online program in which policies and proofs of compliance are uploaded and can be viewed directly by the out-of-state assessors.
The accreditation assessors are Wendy Dorival, school, safety and security administrator, Orange County Public School District, team leader; and Allison C. Jean, accreditation manager and clery compliance officer, University of New Hampshire Police. Once the assessors complete their review of the department, they will report back to the IACLEA Accreditation Commission, which will then decide if the department is to be granted reaccredited status.
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.