University Police at Fredonia are proud to be among the approximately 30 percent of law enforcement agencies in New York State which meet the rigorous standards required for accreditation. Accreditation is a progressive and contemporary way for police agencies to evaluate and improve their overall performance. It provides formal recognition that an organization meets or exceeds general expectations of quality in the field. Accreditation acknowledges the implementation of policies that are conceptually sound and operationally effective.
The New York State Accreditation Program became operational in 1989 and has four principle goals:
1. To increase the effectiveness and efficiency of law enforcement agencies utilizing existing personnel, equipment and facilities to the extent possible;
2. To promote increased cooperation and coordination among law enforcement agencies and other agencies of the criminal justice services;
3. To ensure the appropriate training of law enforcement personnel; and
4. To promote public confidence.
The Accreditation Program is comprised of 110 standards and is divided into three categories. Standards in the Administrative section have provisions for such topics as agency organization, fiscal management, personnel practices, and records. Training standards encompass basic and in-service instruction, as well as training for supervisors and specialized or technical assignments. Operations standards deal with such critical and litigious topics as high-speed pursuits, roadblocks, patrol, and unusual occurrences.
University Police at Fredonia achieved accreditation in March 2014 and re-accreditation in March 2019. Our next assessment to demonstrate that we continue to maintain this high standard of excellence will occur in March 2024.