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Accreditation

The department is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA) and the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators (IACLEA).

Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA)

To qualify for accreditation by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies Inc. (CALEA) the Virginia Tech Police Department voluntarily adheres to 489 professional standards in policies and procedures, administration, operations, and support services. The rigorous review process is designed to demonstrate the department's commitment to excellence in law enforcement.

The department has been awarded accreditation every cycle, now four years, since it was first accredited in 1995.

During its four-year accreditation award cycle, the agency must maintain compliance with applicable standards, keep its proofs of compliance up-to-date, and live by the letter and spirit of those standards. To retain its accredited status, the agency is required to submit an annual report to CALEA.

Virginia Tech is one of only 69 university police departments accredited across the country and one of only 13 university police departments to have earned the “Meritorious Advanced Accreditation with Excellence”.

In 2015, the department was evaluated under the Gold Standard Assessment methodology for the first time and earned CALEA’s Accreditation with Excellence award.

Accreditation Public Comment Portal

As an accredited law enforcement agency through CALEA, the Virginia Tech Police Department has voluntarily committed to an independent review process. The accreditation process is designed to ensure that a law enforcement agency is adhering to the most contemporary and up-to-date best practices with regard to policy and procedures. 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.

Please click here to access the public comment portal for the Virginia Tech Police Department.

International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators (IACLEA)

International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators (IACLEA) requires departments with CALEA accreditation to demonstrate and document nine additional standards that focus specifically on four campus enforcement and safety issues: annual campus security report, emergency access and response, physical security, and personal safety.

The department was first accredited in 2010. IACLEA accreditation is awarded for a 4-year period.

For more information about the department's accreditation, contact the department at 540-231-6411.