A team of assessors for the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies Inc. (CALEA) will arrive March 13 to examine all aspects of the Princeton University Department of Public Safety’s policy and procedures, management, operations and support services.

Verification by the team that the Department of Public Safety (DPS) continues to meet the commission’s state-of-the-art standards is part of a voluntary process to gain reaccreditation, a highly prized recognition of public safety excellence, DPS Executive Director Paul Ominsky said.

As part of the assessment, agency personnel, members of the campus community and the public are invited to offer comments at a public information session at 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 13. The session will be conducted in the DPS Emergency Operations Center, 200 Elm Drive.

If an individual cannot speak at the public information session but would still like to provide comments to the assessment team, they may do so by telephone. The public may call 609-258-8372 between the hours of 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. on Tuesday, March 13.

Telephone comments as well as appearances at the public information session are limited to 10 minutes and must address the agency’s ability to comply with CALEA Standards. A copy of the standards is available for review at the DPS Communications Center, on the first floor of 200 Elm Drive. The local contact is Accreditation and Compliance Coordinator David Finck, 609-258-8796.

Persons wishing to offer written comments about the Princeton University Department of Public Safety’s ability to meet the standards for accreditation are requested to write: Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies Inc. (CALEA), 13575 Heathcote Blvd., Suite 320 Gainesville, Virginia 20155.

DPS has to comply with 189 standards to maintain accredited status, which is an important component of its community caretaking mission, Ominsky said.

Accreditation is for four years, during which the agency must submit annual reports, and participate in annual remote web-based assessments attesting continued compliance with those standards with which it was initially reaccredited.

For more information regarding the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. please write the commission at 13575 Heathcote Blvd, Suite 320 Gainesville, Virginia 20155, call 703-352-4225 or email calea@calea.org.