Campus comment invited during police accreditation assessment

A team of assessors from the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators (IACLEA) will arrive on April 23 to examine all aspects of the Wake Forest University Police Department’s policy and procedures, management, operations, and support services, Assistant Vice President and Chief of Police Regina Lawson announced.

“Verification by the team that the Wake Forest University Police Department meets IACLEA’s state-of-the-art standards is part of a voluntary process to gain accreditation — a highly prized recognition of campus public safety professional excellence,” Lawson said.

In 2008, the Wake Forest University Police Department was the first in the United States to receive IACLEA accreditation.

University community members, agency employees and the public are invited to offer comments on Monday, April 25, by attending an open forum with the assessment team in the Benson University Center, Room 401A from 3:15 p.m. to 4:15 p.m.

The campus community is also invited to join University Police for a community photo with President Wente, Vice President Kidd Brown and the IACLEA assessors. Anyone who would like to join the community photo should come to the front steps outside of Reynolda Hall on Hearn Plaza at 12:50 pm on Monday, Apr 25, 2022. If there is inclement weather, the photo will be taken in the lobby of the Benson University Center.  

Anyone wishing to submit written comments about the Wake Forest University Police Department’s ability to comply with the standards for accreditation may send them to IACLEA Accreditation, Director of Professional Services, Jerry Murphy at jmurphy@iaclea.org.

Comments must address the department’s ability to comply with IACLEA’s standards.  A copy of the standards is available at the University Police Communications Center at Alumni Hall. Please contact Accreditation Manager Tammy Taylor at 336-758-4332  to view the standards.

“The Wake Forest University Police Department has to comply with 215 standards in order to achieve accredited status,” said Major Derri Stormer, who oversees the Accreditation Process. She continued, “Wake Forest University benefits from having an accredited public safety department as the process forces you to stay in a continuous improvement mode.  As part of the process, you are constantly reviewing standards and policies. Accreditation requires you to improve and stay abreast of best practices.”

Tammy Taylor, accreditation manager for Wake Forest University Police, said the assessment team is composed of experienced campus law enforcement professionals.  The assessors will review written materials, interview individuals, and inspect facilities where compliance can be witnessed.

The assessors are:

• Chief Charles L. Simpson, Jr.,  Associate Vice President of Police and Public Safety, St. Augustine’s University, Raleigh, NC.  
• Sonya Johnson, Ph.D., Police Planning and Research Manager, Albany Police Department, Albany, GA.

“Once the assessors complete their review of the department, they will report back to IACLEA, which will then decide if the department is to be re-accredited,” Taylor said.

Accreditation is for four years, during which the department must submit annual reports attesting to continued compliance with those standards under which it was initially accredited.