UT Accreditation Manager Allen Capps (second from left) and UTPD Chief Troy Lane (third from left) receive the reaccreditation award from CALEA officials

The UT Police Department has obtained its fifth reaccreditation with gold standard distinction, meaning it received high marks for compliance in all 484 nationally accepted individual law enforcement standards.

The Commission for Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) recently awarded UTPD the reaccreditation award during a ceremony in St. Louis, Missouri.

Allen Capps, UTPD’s accreditation manager, led the department’s accreditation process.

CALEA accreditation gives law enforcement agencies added credibility. Only 5 percent of all US law enforcement agencies are accredited. UTPD is one of four CALEA-accredited university departments in Tennessee.

The reaccreditation process examines areas such as use of force, emergency management, conflict response, community service, recruitment, and diversity.

UTPD, which has 67 commissioned officers, often examines its recruitment plans and ways to increase its efforts, so officers better represent the overall community the department serves. That way, officers can address situations from different perspectives.

To receive reaccreditation, UTPD was required to submit proofs that it is compliant and that its policies, procedures, and practices meet specific standards. The process included outside assessment and interviews with members of the UT and Knoxville communities about the agency’s effectiveness and overall service delivery.

UTPD first earned CALEA accreditation in 2009 after three years of preparation. The department received its first reaccreditation in 2012. Every four years, UTPD is reassessed for full reaccreditation. To find out more, visit the CALEA website.