EWU Police Department Earns National Accreditation

First time the department has gone through professional review process

June 5, 2024 By David Meany

The Eastern Washington University Police Department (EWUPD) has achieved accreditation from the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators (IACLEA), the leading authority for campus public safety. The EWUPD demonstrated to outside, impartial experts its compliance with national best-practice standards that represent current best practices in the profession.

Fewer than 100 agencies have earned this distinctive recognition. Eastern is the only higher education institution in the state of Washington to be accredited through IACLEA.

“We are extremely proud to have earned our first ever accreditation as a police agency,” said EWU Chief of Police and Director of Public Safety Jewell Day. “This signifies that we have achieved the highest professional standards for policing and have made a commitment to our community to continue being progressive in implementing and adhering to industry best practices and standards in the delivery of police services, while maintaining our established standard of professionalism at all times.”

IACLEA Accreditation signifies an agency’s ongoing commitment to excellence and state-of-the-art performance in every aspect of its operations. The standards guide the recruitment, selection, training, and professional development of agency personnel and overall agency operations.

“We congratulate the Eastern Washington University Police Department on achieving IACLEA Accreditation, a unique distinction among campus police and public safety agencies,” said IACLEA President Paul Dean, Chief of Police & Assistant Vice President for Public Safety & Risk Management at the University of New Hampshire. “The men and women protecting your campus have proven through policy and practice the commitment to operate at the highest level of the profession.”

Among the many benefits of accreditation are increased accountability from agency personnel and the agency as a whole and a commitment to continuous improvement to maintain excellent operations.

The EWUPD prepared for the onsite assessment by updating policies and operations for April 28-30, ensured the public had the opportunity to provide comments to the outside assessors, and hosted assessors on-site. The agency will seek re-accreditation in four years.

Agency representatives will be recognized for this significant achievement during IACLEA’s Annual Conference & Exposition in June.