After receiving national accreditation for the first time in 2021, the Clemson University Police Department (CUPD) has successfully completed the four-year reaccreditation process, receiving formal notice of their renewed accreditation status on March 22, 2025, by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA®).
“Our team is very proud to be a CALEA-accredited agency and takes it as a daily challenge to avoid complacency and constantly pursue excellence in everything that we do,” Interim CUPD Chief Christopher Harrington said. “We believe in the process of continual improvement and appreciate the spirit of examining our processes and practices to further strengthen public trust and legitimacy by benchmarking against the ‘Gold Standard in Public Safety’.”
Reaccreditation is a four-year cycle that involves continued self-assessment prior to a site-based assessment of community engagement, policy, procedures, equipment and facilities by CALEA assessors in the fourth year of the cycle.
Each agency under review goes before CALEA’s 21-member Board of Commissioners, where all findings are reviewed, and accreditation status is determined. On March 22, the CALEA Commission formally presented CUPD’s second accreditation award to Associate Vice President for Public Safety Kimberly Spears-McNatt, Interim Chief Harrington and Lt. Jonathan Brown, who manages the accreditation process for CUPD.
“This achievement is a testament to the hard work and commitment from the entire agency and a proud moment for CUPD and Clemson University,” said Spears-McNatt. “I was honored to witness the testimony of all the great work that CUPD has accomplished over the last several years.”
Some of the key programs and initiatives that CUPD highlighted during its review and assessment included:
- The mental health co-responder clinician program has supported police interactions with those in mental health crisis and provided the ability for appropriate interventions and diversions through having a highly-skilled resource responding directly alongside officers on calls for service.
- CUPD’s commitment to Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) training for all officers and communications staff, which trains law enforcement how to respond safely and quickly to people with serious mental illness in crisis. Additionally, the department’s investment in best-in-class training, such as Integrating Communications, Assessment and Tactics (ICAT) and Active Bystandership for Law Enforcement (ABLE).
- The impact of the Physical Security Operations Center (PSOC) and technology enhancements have made to police operations and investigations, supporting not only our jurisdiction but also assisting other agencies in clearing cases, recovering property and identifying suspects.
- CUPD’s community policing initiatives, which include the department’s Housing and Affinity Group Liaison programs, the Community Oriented Policing Sectors and the Public Safety Citizens Academy. These initiatives help CUPD officers build and strengthen relationships with key segments of the campus population.
- CUPD’s leadership development programs and the department’s engagement with the Excellence in Policing and Public Safety (EPPS) Program through the Joseph F. Rice School of Law, which CUPD Lieutenant Cortney Wright completed as a member of the first cohort of the program. CUPD’s dedication to data-informed policing initiatives and its innovative uses of CompStat 360 were recognized as well.
- Specifically highlighted by the Commissioners was CUPD’s wellness program and how the department has interwoven well-being practices and programs, such as the Peer Support Team, wellness and well-being challenges, health screenings and Struggle Well, into a holistic culture supporting wellness for all CUPD staff.
Why accreditation?
The purpose of CALEA accreditation is to establish a foundation within public safety agencies that focuses on achieving the best outcomes in the delivery of services. Consistent internal and external review, combined with third-party validation of an agency’s policies and procedures, is critical in the delivery of high-quality public safety services and promotes accountability.
“Accreditation is more than an organizational achievement or milestone,” Brown said. “It is a continuous commitment to excellence and accountability in the service we provide to our community.”
Of the over 18,000 law enforcement agencies in the United States, only 5% achieve CALEA accreditation. This puts CUPD and all CALEA-accredited agencies among the best in the country and showcases their commitment to continuous improvement and setting the standard of excellence in law enforcement.
“It is truly a whole team approach to successfully embrace the practice of “best is the standard” and the transparency of continuous assessment by independent evaluators,” Harrington said. “Remaining accredited requires a constant commitment to standards and doing what we say we do.”
The Commission was created in 1979 through the combined efforts of four major law enforcement organizations; the International Association of Chiefs of Police, National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives, National Sheriffs’ Association and the Police Executive Research Forum.
The purpose of the Commission is to develop standards based on international best practices in public safety, and to establish and administer the accreditation process. The accreditation process is a public safety agency’s voluntarily demonstration of how it meets professionally recognized criteria for excellence in management and service delivery.