The University Police Department currently is in the process of rewriting its procedures manual in order to sign a contract that will enable national recognition as an accredited department.
University Police Capt. Michael Coleman said he expects the contract with an accrediting authority, called the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement, Inc., to be signed by 2006.
He said CALEA consists of a variety of national law enforcement agencies that have established certain standards police departments should meet.
"There are roughly 500 to 600 standards, which run from operating procedures to equipment to relationships with other departments to general operating policies in relationship to personal matters or important matters to the police department," Coleman said.
He said the University Police Department already is meeting many of CALEA's standards although it has not signed an official contract.
"It doesn't mean we're not currently operating in a professional manner, but what it means is that the accreditation will demonstrate the fact that we meet the standards," Coleman said.
Because CALEA is a nationally recognized program for professional standards of law enforcement, the University Police Department wants to be on that standard, University Police Sgt. Sandra Hussord said.
One of the biggest changes that will be implemented by the University Police to meet CALEA's standards is the creation of a more detailed statistical analysis of crimes, Coleman said.
Another change includes incorporating the Instant Command System to respond to incidents in a similar fashion as the fire department.
Pete Sweeney, battalion chief at the Charlottesville Fire Department, said the Instant Command System is a critical safety system that links all of the emergency agencies when a specific incident happens.
He said the fire department has been using it for years and that the system has come to the forefront since Sept. 11, 2001.
"The Instant Command System allows contact with other agencies for help, and this is the fastest way to get resources," Sweeney said.
Coleman said CALEA representatives will examine various aspects of the University Police Department, including its facility, availability and condition of equipment such as patrol cars, evidence room and radio system, as well as the documentation of occurrences and the written plans for a response.
Coleman said he is confident the department will be certified in the near future even though the process can take some time.
"Not every organization gets certified at their first attempt, and it's not unusual for it to take two or three times, but we are determined to accomplish it our first time," Coleman said.
Hussord also said receiving the final approval may take some time.
"It's a rigorous approval process because we have 100 policies that need to be rewritten, so it's a large project," she said.
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