Macomb Community College Police Department earns accreditation

MACOMB COUNTY — The Macomb Community College Police Department has earned accreditation from the Michigan Law Enforcement Accreditation Commission, a program established by the Michigan Association of Chiefs of Police MACP and the Michigan Sheriffs’ Association.

Robert Stevenson, executive director of MACP; Ron Wiles, deputy director and accreditation program director of MACP; and Bryan Ergang, MCAP’s president and chief of the Kalamazoo Police Department, presented a plaque commemorating the achievement to the college’s board of trustees at their meeting on Dec. 18.

“We are proud to have earned accreditation, which is one of the most meaningful tools to ensure that we are accountable, embrace the highest standards of service, and maintain mutual respect and trust with our college community,” Macomb College Police Chief William Leavens said in a prepared statement. “We are grateful to the college’s board of trustees, faculty, staff and students for their continuing support and ongoing engagement in sustaining a shared culture of safety and security.”

According to the MACP, there are 638 law enforcement agencies in Michigan and the Macomb Community College Police Department is the 88th agency to earn accreditation. As per a Macomb press release, the college is the sixth police department of a higher educational institution in the state to be accredited.

The voluntary accreditation process ensures that law enforcement agencies engage in ongoing professional development and continuous improvement, and that their methods, policies, procedures and daily operations follow best practices. This initial accreditation is the culmination of a two-year process and comprehensive review of the department’s standards, procedures and processes. Accreditation is valid for a three-year period, during which time annual reports must be filed attesting to continued compliance with the commission’s standards.

The Macomb Community College Police Department is a full-service law enforcement agency with responsibility for all areas of the college community, including two campuses — East and Center — in Clinton Township, and one campus — South — and a technical education center in Warren, encompassing more than 400 acres and 40 buildings. The department includes certified police officers, public service officers who provide security, fire protection and dispatch support, communications, dispatch operators, and administrative assistants.