UB Police earns ‘gold standard’ for accreditation

BUFFALO, N.Y. – University at Buffalo Police have earned the approval of the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators (IACLEA), becoming the only police department in the state to be accredited through IACLEA, the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement (CALEA) and the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services (NYS DCJS).

It is the latest recognition of the department’s efforts to adhere to the highest professional standards in law enforcement, according to Police Chief Gerald W. Schoenle Jr.  

UB Police received strong praise from the prestigious accreditation organization – which Schoenle called the “gold standard” for university policing – for its procedures and personnel, and called it “an accredited police agency providing the best possible police services to their community.”

The assessment team noted that it was especially impressed with the department’s involvement in the campus community and the support the university shows for UB Police, which provides a full range of professional law enforcement services to the campus.

“It was obvious that the professionalism and pride exhibited by every member we encountered contributes to the support they receive from the university,” said one of the assessment team members.

“Going through the accreditation process has made us a better police department and supports our mission to provide a safe and welcoming environment for the students, visitors, faculty and staff to live, learn, work and play,” said Schoenle.  “In these changing times, it is imperative that police agencies do everything they can to respond to the safety concerns of our communities, while instilling confidence and trust in the community for their police department.  The accreditation process is a great way for agencies to improve their operations by adhering to nationally known best practices.  This was truly a great team effort by our department.”

Schoenle praised Lt. Scott Marciszewski, UB’s accreditation manager, who steered the department through the process of complying with all of the more than 200 required standards representing the best policies and practices in law enforcement.

The department, one of only 44 agencies to have achieved this recognition, will be formally recognized at IACLEA’s annual conference in Phoenix in July.

The IACLEA team that performed the assessment described UB’s Police Department as well-prepared for this inspection.  They found agency files well-organized and well-documented.

“The assessors found the agency to be in compliance with all applicable standards,” the report summary said.  “The interactions that were conducted with all members of the department were very positive.  All employees of the agency that the team encountered were enthusiastic and welcomed any questions posted to them.”

In an exit interview, the team expressed special appreciation for the department’s leadership, noting its dedication to the IACLEA process and using it to make improvements to the department.

The report summary also noted UB Police will face future challenges with two main campuses and a new, third campus in downtown Buffalo.  However, the team said, “the command staff is well positioned to address future challenges as they arise.  The department has placed an increased emphasis on training, including active shooter training, community policing, sexual assault investigations and increased training opportunities for investigators and supervisors, including sending five members of the department to the FBI National Academy.”

In 2007, UB Police became the first State University of New York police department to become NYS DCJS accredited; it was re-accredited in 2012. In 2013 UB Police also received recognition through CALEA, the only police agency in Erie County and one of only five in the state to receive the accreditation. Syracuse University, RIT and Cornell University also have received accreditation through IACLEA.