<p>A team of assessors from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies Inc. (CALEA) will arrive on campus Aug. 18, 2007, to examine all aspects of the Department of Public Safety’s (DPS) policies, procedures, management, operations and support services. Brown’s DPS is the only accredited Rhode Island campus police department and was the first Ivy League police service to receive this honor. A public hearing is scheduled for Aug. 20.</p>

PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] — A team of assessors from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies Inc. (CALEA) will arrive on campus Aug. 18, 2007, to examine all aspects of the Brown University Department of Public Safety’s (DPS) policies, procedures, management, operations and support services. DPS is one of only seven nationally accredited law enforcement agencies in Rhode Island, the only accredited campus in R.I., and the first Ivy League department to receive this honor.

The assessment team is composed of law enforcement practitioners from similar but out-of-state agencies. The assessors will review written materials, interview individuals and visit offices and other places where compliance can be witnessed. The assessors will also examine such areas as use of force, bias-based policing, and internal affairs investigations, among many other categories essential to community safety.

CALEA will conduct a special public hearing on Monday, Aug. 20, at 7 p.m. in MacMillan Hall, Room 115. Public comment is sought from the community. Also on that day, the public will have access to the assessors through a dedicated telephone line from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. The number assigned to the assessors is (401) 863-1620. Written comments should be addressed to:

Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies Inc.
10302 Eaton Place, Ste. 100
Fairfax, VA 22030

“Verification by the team that DPS meets the Commission’s standards is part of a voluntary process to gain accreditation, which is a highly prized recognition of law enforcement standards,” said Col. Mark Porter, Brown’s chief of police and director of public safety. “We also hope the members of the community will come to the forum to offer their comments about the department.”

All comments from the Aug. 20 meeting and all written comments sent to CALEA will become part of the accreditation team’s final report.

DPS received its initial accreditation in July 1998, and was reaccredited in August 2004. Accreditation is for three years, during which time the agency must submit annual reports attesting continued compliance with those standards under which it was initially accredited.