UAB Police, one of a small number of university police forces to receive advanced accreditation by the national Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, also received its Award of Excellence following the triennial review.
In April, CALEA assessors were on campus to examine and audit department policies and procedures, management, operations and support services. They reviewed written materials, interviewed personnel, solicited public comment and inspected facilities.
In their final report, assessors said, “The University of Alabama at Birmingham Police Department is a confident group of skilled law-enforcement professionals who are vital members of the campus community, and this law enforcement agency most capably provides law-enforcement services to a dynamic and growing urban university that is the academic medical center in Birmingham.”
Chief of Police Anthony Purcell credited the men and women in the department who worked hard to adhere to the highest, nationally proclaimed and professional standards.
“Achieving reaccreditation with the award of excellence is recognition that our police department continues to aspire to provide the highest quality services to our campus community,” Purcell said. “This major achievement could not have been accomplished without the commitment and dedication of the professional men and women of our police department and the support of the communities and stakeholders that we serve.”
Purcell, who noted that accreditation is voluntary, said meeting these standards decreases the risk of liability claims, ensures fairness and consistency when dealing with policy and procedural issues, creates transparency within the department and increases the professional image of the department.
“Standardization in hiring, training, police and procedures, as promoted under CALEA standards, has continued to provide a successful path for the UAB Police Department to follow in becoming a better trained and more professional organization,” Purcell said.
The department, created in 1972, was first accredited by CALEA in 1995. Additionally, UAB Police is accredited by the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators.
