SF State Police Department seeks public comment for reaccreditation

Accreditation agency to evaluate University Police Department

SAN FRANCISCO, May 30, 2012 -- A team of assessors from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) Inc. will visit San Francisco State University from Monday, June 25, to Thursday, June 28, to examine all aspects of the University Police Department’s policies and procedures, management, operations and support services.

The assessment team’s verification that the University Police Department meets the commission’s standards is part of a voluntary process to maintain accreditation. As part of the on-site assessment, University employees and other members of the community are invited to offer comments at a public information session from 1 to 3 p.m. on Tuesday, June 26. The session will be held at SF State in Facilities Training Room 101 of the Corporation Yard "A" Building, located on North State Drive (at Lake Merced Boulevard, just south of Winston Drive).

Comments to the assessment team may also be made between 2 and 4 p.m. on Monday, June 25, by calling (415) 405-3807.

Written comments about the SF State Police Department’s ability to meet the standards for accreditation may be mailed to CALEA, 13575 Heathcote Boulevard, Suite 320, Gainesville, Virginia 20155.

Telephone and in-person comments are limited to 10 minutes and must address the ability of the University Police to comply with CALEA’s standards. A copy of the standards is available for review at the SF State Police Department, located on North State Drive. The local contact is Martha Villanueva, who is serving as accreditation manager for the University Police Department. For details, call (415) 338-3950.

The University Police Department must comply with 480 standards to maintain accredited status. The assessors will review written materials, interview individuals and visit offices and other places where compliance can be witnessed.

Once the commission’s assessors complete their review on the SF State campus, they report back to the full commission, which will then decide if the SF State Police Department is to be reaccredited. Accreditation is for three years, during which the department must submit annual reports attesting to continued compliance with accreditation standards.

Assessors are:  Chief Paul Willingham from the University of Houston -- Clear Lake Police Department in Texas and Lieutenant John Dolan from the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office in Missouri.

For further information regarding CALEA, write to the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA), 13575 Heathcote Boulevard, Suite 320, Gainesville, Virginia 20155; call (703) 352-4225; e-mail calea@calea.org or visithttp://www.calea.org/.

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SF State is the only master's-level public university serving the counties of San Francisco, San Mateo and Marin. The University enrolls nearly 30,000 students each year and graduates about 8,000 annually. With nationally acclaimed programs in a range of fields -- from creative writing, cinema and biology to history, broadcast and electronic communication arts, theatre arts and ethnic studies -- the University’s more than 212,000 graduates have contributed to the economic, cultural and civic fabric of San Francisco and beyond.