SOUTH KINGSTOWN – For the first time in its history, the University of Rhode Island’s police department received accreditation from the Rhode Island Police Accreditation Commission, the university announced Sept. 30.
The department began its accreditation process in 2021, in which it conducted extensive reviews of its policies and procedures to improve operations and ensure safety for the university community.
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“Accreditation is the gold standard for making sure we’re providing superior services to our community,” said URI Chief of Police Michael Jagoda. “We’re making sure our policies and procedures are constitutional, they’re fair and nondiscriminatory, that our training is superior, that our officers are confident in their skill set and they’re going out there in partnership with the community.”
The review process included equipping all officers with body-worn cameras, funded by a five-year $288,750 grant received in 2022 as part of a $16.1 million statewide initiative.
The voluntary program comprises 217 standards across six areas, including management, operations and community relations.
In 2018, URI was ranked the fourth-safest campus in the United States by Campus Safety magazine.
“Accreditation is designed to help agencies demonstrate – to themselves and the public – their desire to learn and continuously improve,” said RIPAC Executive Director Christine Crocker.
Christopher Allen is a PBN staff writer. You may contact him at Allen@PBN.com.
