CCRI Campus Police Earns Statewide Accreditation

The Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI) Campus Police Department has achieved full state accreditation from the Rhode Island Police Accreditation Commission (RIPAC) for the first time.

The accreditation process consists of two major components: (1) the establishment of a body of professional standards for police agencies to meet, and (2) a voluntary assessment process by which agencies can be publicly recognized for meeting those standards considered best practices for the profession.

The Rhode Island Police Accreditation Commission comprises 216 accreditation standards of which 166 were applicable to a college police department. The CCRI Campus Police were required to show that it had written policies and procedures that adhered to these standards.

Additionally, the CCRI Campus Police Department was required to show proof which displayed in practice that officers were adhering to these policy guidelines and standards.

“The mission of our Campus Police is to protect and serve all those who learn, teach, and work at the college. This mission is grounded in a foundation of community service and treating all individuals with respect and fairness. Earning this accreditation is a symbol that our model of community policing works and is a testament to the leadership of Chief Sean Collins and the professionalism of all our Campus Police officers,” said Alix Ogden, Associate Vice President of Administration, which oversees Campus Police.

This is the first time the CCRI Campus Police sought and achieved accreditation. Leading the accreditation process was Chief Sean Collins, who was appointed Chief in 2019, and Captain Joseph Hopkins, who served as CCRI’s accreditation manager. “I am so proud of our officers and staff for embracing the accreditation process and for measuring ourselves against the very best policies and practices. We strive to promote public confidence with our constituents by being fully transparent on how we operate, and I hope this accreditation gives the public the confidence knowing we hold ourselves accountable to the highest standards of professionalism in law enforcement,” said Chief Collins.

The Rhode Island Police Accreditation Commission will present CCRI Campus Police and all departments who have earned accreditation this past year at a ceremony on Wednesday, June 30, at 11 am at CCRI’s Knight Campus in Warwick. The public and media are welcome to attend.

About CCRI

The Community College of Rhode Island, New England’s largest community college, enrolls nearly 20,000 students in credit-bearing programs and an additional 8,500 individuals in workforce development programs and adult education courses annually. CCRI also provides transportation education and certification to 14,000 Rhode Islanders each year. Classes and programs are offered at CCRI’s full-service campuses in Warwick, Lincoln, Providence and Newport, online and in partnership with the Westerly Education Center. For more information, visit www.ccri.edu.

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