Purdue University Police Department is reaccredited for maintaining professional practices and policies

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — A major law enforcement association has signed off on the professional standards and general orders of the Purdue University Police Department for a fourth time in a row. The Commission for Accreditation of Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) recently reaccredited the department.

The accreditation program requires departments to comply with rigorous standards that provide best practices related to life, health and safety procedures for law enforcement.

The reaccreditation process includes a self-evaluation and a review by independent assessors and CALEA commissioners. It also involves input from the public. A public information session was held in July to collect comments and opinions from the Purdue community.

“The reaccreditation program holds our department and officers accountable to make sure we continue to meet the standards set by CALEA and our community,” said Chief John Cox. “Receiving this reaccreditation should provide reassurance to the campus community that our training, the standards we apply and general orders we follow are ‘industry best practices’ as it relates to policing in the 21st century.”

CALEA first accredited PUPD in 2009. Since then, PUPD was reaccredited in 2012 and 2015 until this most recent reaccreditation when CALEA shifted to a four-year reaccreditation cycle.

Cox says the initial accreditation process was a thorough three-year endeavor. He says the department has worked hard to maintain compliance ever since.

“We are proud of maintaining our accreditation, including annual reviews of the General Order requirements that drive us to utilize best practices in the field of law enforcement,” Cox said. “This latest CALEA reaccreditation is due in large part to the hard work and dedication of men and women of the Purdue University Police Department. Students, faculty, staff, parents and alumni can be assured that their safety is our number one priority, and our accreditation is an example of that priority.”

Cox, along with several other leaders from the department and university, attended the Northern Kentucky CALEA Conference on Nov. 16, where PUPD was presented with the reaccreditation.

Purdue is one of only two colleges in Indiana and one of six schools in the Big Ten to receive law enforcement accreditation from CALEA.

CALEA was created in 1979 as a credentialing authority through joint efforts of law enforcement’s major executive associations. In 2018, there were more than 1,000 agencies enrolled in CALEA Accreditation programs for law enforcement, communications, training academies and campus security.

Contact: Chief John Cox, 765-494-8221, jkcox@purdue.edu