FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Nov. 13, 2023
CONTACT
Leha Byrd
ECSU Communications and Marketing
Email or 252.335.8745
Elizabeth City State University (ECSU) is now the only university in the region with a CALEA accreditation. The designation serves as an international certification for public safety agencies.
The Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) was established in 1979 as a body that requires organizations, such as police departments, to report on numerous standards to achieve the merit. ECSU received the Law Enforcement Accreditation, which lasts four years, and requires compliance with 183 standards that are deemed best practices related to life, health, and safety procedures. These standards are considered foundational for contemporary law enforcement agencies, according to the CALEA website.
This achievement aligns with a primary objective outlined in the university’s five-year strategic plan, which identifies ensuring sound and efficient university operations as a goal. University Chancellor Karrie G. Dixon said the acknowledgement speaks to the good work the ECSU Police Department does throughout the campus.
“Our recent CALEA accreditation not only sets us apart as the only agency in northeastern North Carolina to achieve this distinction, but also aligns seamlessly with our strategic plan of operational excellence,” she said. “By joining a select number of UNC system schools who hold this accreditation, we demonstrate our commitment to delivering exceptional public safety services to our campus community."
Prior to the official accreditation, CALEA compliance service members conducted web based and on-site assessments of ECSU police department inner workings and procedures. Going forward ECSU is required to prove continued compliance on a yearly basis and on the fourth year, go before board commissioners to receive reaccreditation, police department officials said.
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Elizabeth City State University provides students with a high-quality, affordable education as one of North Carolina’s leading four-year public institutions that is part of the University of North Carolina System. ECSU develops leaders who are courageous, resilient, and empowered through excellent student-centered, experiential learning. We offer baccalaureate, professional, and master’s degrees across a wide variety of interests. Excellence is the standard at Elizabeth City State University – success is our legacy. Come to Discover. Leave to Conquer. Visit www.ecsu.edu.