12 Steps Must be Completed in 3 Years
The process is straightforward, but the road to accreditation is not always easy. Departments have 36 months to complete the process. Lyle assigned his right-hand deputy, Maj. Cleveland Smith, to oversee the project. To move forward, Smith instituted these steps:
1) Getting the administration onboard. In this respect, AACC was fortunate in that its leadership, under President Martha A. Smith, recognized that a college community is best served by public safety personnel who are trained in the latest best practices.
2) Getting the department onboard. Again, AACC benefitted from having department members who realized the benefits to themselves and to the department as a whole to be recognized as having passed the standards for the most up-to-date, professional training.
3) Researching the best accreditation for the department. In this case, IACLEA worked best because it focused on nonsworn campus security departments.
4) Contacting the organization and initiate the application process.
5) Dividing the application process into parts. These sections include information already available, material that needs research and possible changes or action that may be needed for compliance.
6) Going through the proper channels for making any changes necessary.
7) Making any needed changes.
8) Writing the self-assessment and submitting it to IACLEA.
9) Preparing for the site review.
10) Assisting the onsite accreditation team during its visit.
11) Providing any extra information to the accreditation team as a result of its visit.
12) Awaiting the results – arguably the hardest part.
Be Prepared Before Starting the Process
AACC’s department has 26 nonsworn officers, but it is led by two former Anne Arundel County police officers who are trained in proper police procedures.
When Lyle arrived to take over the department in 1992, he instituted changes that helped put it in good shape for accreditation. He updated training and duty procedures, and converted the department’s radio system to an 800 MHz system that allowed for interoperability with local police and fire departments. He also revised the department’s report-writing procedures to align with the system used by the Anne Arundel County Police Department, established a bike patrol unit and developed a shoulder patch unique to the department to immediately identify campus officers.
While those policies and procedures were updated as circumstances warranted, Maj. Smith had to research current procedures to see if they matched the latest best practices, amend policies and procedures as needed and check clerical files and incident records for completeness. The process took 18 months of preparation.
Preparing for the accreditation team visit also had specific requirements. IACLEA requires the department seek public input into its bid for accreditation. To achieve this, the department worked with the AACC public relations and marketing office to create a press release seeking comment and requesting callers phone comments to the accreditation team. The release was run as an advertisement in both newspapers that serve Anne Arundel County. It also was posted on bulletin boards throughout the campus.
Accreditation Improves Operations, Officer Morale
Upon earning accreditation, the department was affected in ways that were both expected and unexpected. Officer morale and operational procedures were improved. The process gave the college community and nearby residential community confidence in the public safety team. The department of public safety also learned how much other departments and the community appreciated it.
Improvements in department structure, leadership, organization, general direction and accountability also were expected. Hiring practices were amended to include examinations for physical and psychological fitness and emotional stability. Property audit procedures were revised, and the department’s longtime practices for interacting with other law enforcement agencies were put in writing.
The unexpected benefits included easier recruitment and retention of qualified personnel, and a closer relationship with some of the other departments on campus.
