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The Millersville University Police Department has achieved accreditation from the Pennsylvania Law Enforcement Accreditation Program of the Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association. Accreditation strengthens the professionalism of law enforcement and is a time-proven way of helping institutions evaluate and improve their overall performance.
“It is gratifying to see Millersville University’s Police Department gain this recognition, which supports our focus on professionalism as one of our EPPIIC values,” says President Daniel A. Wubah. “This accreditation signifies that the Department is following best practices as it works to continually improve upon the vital services it provides to our campus community.”
The accreditation program involves a three-step process: application, self-assessment and formal assessment. Organizations analyze their operations to determine if they meet 136 professional standards. Necessary adaptations and changes are made, then a team of independent professionals visits to verify that all applicable standards have been met. The process culminates with a decision by an authoritative body that the institution is worthy of accreditation.
The assessment team that visited Millersville indicated that “The Millersville University Police Department is a well-organized and professional police department that is dedicated to quality service. All departmental personnel follow through with the necessary objective to maintain a high level of service and are obviously dedicated to the accreditation program and the community.”
Led by Chief Pete Anders, the Millersville University Police Department is comprised of 14 sworn full-time police officers, as well as three full-time staff and four part-time staff members. The Department provides professional services to the student residents and visitors to the University 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, through patrol and bicycle units. A proactive agency, it emphasizes a community partnership philosophy using community policing efforts.
“Our mission centers on community engagement and problem solving,” said Chief Anders. “We work hard to build relationships and gain the trust of our students. Our recent accreditation reflects our commitment to consistently improve as a department, assisting and protecting our community. Our sights are now fixed on reaccreditation.”
Anders credited several others who assisted with the process, including President Wubah, “who supported our department with our move to the Boyer Building in the summer of 2023,” he said. “Our station was designed to comply with the rigorous physical standards required for accreditation.”
In addition, Jeff Porter, associate vice president for the office of grants, sponsored programs and research, helped Anders and the Department earn a Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency grant that allowed them to work with a consultant throughout the two-year process. And Vice President of Finance and Administration Dr. Nafez Alyan encouraged staff regularly and emphasized the value of accreditation for the University, according to Anders.
“Most importantly,” he says,” all our officers and staff were engaged with the accreditation process, with Lt. Art White and records technician Steve Figueroa leading the Department’s efforts.”
