Kent State is served by an outstanding police department.

Kent State University Police Services has received law enforcement accreditation for the sixth consecutive time since 1991 from the Commission on the Accreditation of Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA). Kent State Police Services also has been recognized as a Flagship Agency for an unprecedented third time. Kent State Police Services and the Lexington, Ky., Police Department are the first and only agencies to be awarded this status three times.

Kent State Police Services is one of only 599 police agencies accredited by CALEA throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico and Barbados. CALEA standards require an agency to establish a management process for monitoring and measuring performance and reviewing and evaluating policy and procedure. This ensures an agency's continual growth, improvement and use of best practices. CALEA audits accredited agencies every three years to ensure the agencies continue to meet the commission's standards of professional excellence.

Kent State Police Lt. Bill Buckbee, who also serves as the department's accreditation manager, said CALEA assessors toured and inspected the university's police facilities and equipment and reviewed its policies and practices during a four-day, on-site inspection this past August. "They also interviewed most of our staff, rode with the officers and attended shift briefings," Buckbee says.

Agencies designated with Flagship status are considered the best among elite law enforcement agencies in the United States, Canada and Mexico. CALEA provides for an independent, objective review of an agency's programs and practices relative to 463 professional standards and a proven modern management model. Flagship agencies are those agencies that demonstrate excellence in meeting the required standards and managing the on-site review process. The Flagship award is intended to recognize agencies as role models for professional law enforcement.

"The assessors were impressed with the professionalism of our staff and the warm welcome they received during their visit at Kent State University," says Kent State Assistant Police Chief Dean Tondiglia. "The final report said that Kent State Police Services has high-quality, well-educated and well-trained personnel. Getting the Flagship designation three times represents a commitment from everyone at all levels and at every position of the organization."

CALEA is an independent, nonprofit organization that was created in 1979 and started granting accreditation awards in 1984. The program has become the primary method for law enforcement agencies to demonstrate their commitment to excellence. For more information on the organization, visit www.calea.org.

Kent State is the first university police agency in the country to be awarded Flagship status and is also designated as a Meritorious Agency for having the distinction of being accredited for more than 15 years.

For more information on Kent State Police Services, visit www.kent.edu/police.