Arnold, Maryland - Anne Arundel Community College’s Department of Public Safety became the first community college public safety agency in the nation to receive accreditation from the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators this fall. The three-year accreditation is recognition of the department’s excellence and its use of “best practices” in campus law enforcement. The department also had to demonstrate that it was in full compliance with all 205 applicable standards to become accredited. “We are extremely proud of our public safety team,” said AACC President Martha A. Smith, Ph.D. “While the college community knows the excellence that our officers demonstrate in carrying out their jobs every day, this achievement gives them national recognition within the law enforcement community. This is part of the AACC commitment to excellence throughout the institution and ensuring the welfare and vitality of our college community.” 

Chief Gary Lyle, director of AACC’s department, credited Maj. Cleveland Smith, his deputy director, for coordinating the 20-month accreditation preparations and the rest of the department for uniting in a commitment to serve the college community. “I am just thrilled and proud about being awarded this accreditation status,” Lyle said. “This tells the college community and other professional law enforcement and public safety agencies that they can be assured that we are achieving internationally recognized standards.” John Leonard, director of accreditation and the Loaned Executive Management Assistance programs for IACLEA, said AACC’s accreditation is a major accomplishment as the first community college to receive that honor. “AACC is on the cutting edge of our accreditation process,” he said. The IACLEA represents campus public safety leaders at more than 1,000 institutions of higher education. The organization was formed almost 30 years ago to represent college and university law enforcement, public safety and security departments, much as the Commission on Accreditation of Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) does for municipal, county and state law enforcement departments. Professional law enforcement executives partnered with CALEA to develop the standards for campus public safety units based on many of the CALEA principles, Leonard said, then piloted the accreditation program to four colleges to iron out the process and make sure the standards fit campus life. The organization began offering accreditation to its members about two years ago. Colleges have 36 months to complete the process, which begins with a self-assessment of a department’s proficiency with those more than 200 standards, followed by a three-day on-site visit by an accrediting committee that studies whether a department is in full compliance with all applicable standards. “Every agency can benefit,” Leonard said. The process “provides a series of benchmarks to assess how an agency is doing and is a planning tool for improvement.” While the CALEA Web site touts possible savings in liability insurance costs with accreditation, Leonard said any savings depend on how a college is insured. However, Leonard felt an accredited department probably had fewer liable incidents as accreditation standards require set procedures for selection of officers, consistent training, well-managed supervision and a strict set of professional standards in daily operation.

THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY at Anne Arundel Community College became the first community college in the nation to be accredited by the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators. Led by Chief Gary Lyle, seated right, director of the department, and Maj. Cleveland Smith, left, deputy director, the department includes 24 officers, eight of whom are pictured.

CHIEF GARY LYLE, left, director of Anne Arundel Community College’s Department of Public Safety, and Maj. Cleveland Smith, deputy director, coordinated the department’s successful accreditation over 20 months. The department had to pass 205 tough standards to be accredited within a three-year time frame. For more information, contact: Debbie McDaniel-Shaughney Public Relations Manager Phone: 410-777-7259 Email: dmshaughney@aacc.edu