The Department had chosen to voluntarily undergo the intensive scrutiny and peer review required by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies in order to document to the students, staff, faculty and the community served by Pima Community College that the Department of Public Safety is dedicated to the finest standards of law enforcement procedures and community service. The accreditation concept and practice is not a new one. Numerous professional fields have undergone accreditation to prove compliance with a set of professional standards. Many members of our college community are familiar with the accreditation practices of Colleges and Universities, including those here at Pima.
Accreditation is, however, relatively new to the law enforcement field.
The Pima Community College Department of Public Safety has made a commitment to be the first community college police department to become nationally accredited. Successful accreditation makes a statement to law enforcement colleagues and other professionals alike, that the Pima College Department of Public Safety meets the very highest of standards. Following application, the Commission solicits valuable information from the agency in the form of a questionnaire. This questionnaire provides details regarding the agency's size, responsibilities and functions, facilities, crime statistics, etc. From the completed questionnaire, the Commission determines how many and which of the professional standards must be met by the agency to be accredited.