SUNY Geneseo’s University Police Department has received accreditation status from the New York State Law Enforcement Accreditation Council.
“With this recognition, SUNY Geneseo’s University Police Department becomes the ninth within SUNY to be accredited and puts us one step closer to our system-wide goal of attaining state accreditation across our system by 2020,” said SUNY Chancellor Nancy L. Zimpher. “Congratulations to Chief Thomas Kilcullen and his staff on this much deserved recognition of their high standards and exemplary police work.”
The department also becomes the 146th law enforcement agency in the state to receive the recognition.
“This is great news for our campus and I congratulate Chief Kilcullen and his associates for this important achievement,” said Interim SUNY Geneseo President Carol S. Long. “The safety of our students, faculty, staff and visitors is paramount and this accreditation duly recognizes the strong department protecting our campus.”
To be considered for accreditation, agencies must first demonstrate that they meet or exceed standards identified by the Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS). Conducted over a two-year minimum period, the process includes an on-site visit by peer assessors, who perform a survey to determine compliance with 132 standards. The examiners review written policies to ensure proper implementation and interview many members of the organization, testing their knowledge of policies and the department’s adherence to them.
“This recognition culminates a rigorous self-evaluation process begun several years ago by then-Chief Sal Simonetti,” said Robert Bonfiglio, vice president for student and campus life. “Chief Kilcullen and members of the department have worked diligently to address the items revealed in that process to meet the standards for accreditation, and I commend the department for achieving this goal.”
The accreditation council says that accreditation is a “progressive and contemporary way of helping police agencies evaluate and improve their overall performance, providing formal recognition that an organization meets or exceeds expectations of quality in the field and acknowledging the implementation of policies that are conceptually sound and operationally effective.”
“It is highly complimentary to be recognized for our accomplishments as a professional police organization,” said Chief Kilcullen. “I congratulate all of my staff and particularly those who worked tirelessly to achieve our goal of becoming an accredited agency. I also want to recognize Livingston County Sheriff Thomas Dougherty for the assistance his agency provided to the department during the accreditation process.”
SUNY Geneseo’s University Police Department has 18 officers and three staff members. Officers are on duty 24 hours a day.