ACCREDITATION ASSESSMENT TEAM INVITES PUBLIC TO COMMENT
The 51³Ô¹ÏÍø Police Department is scheduled for an on-site assessment as part of its program to achieve accreditation by verifying that it meets recognized professional best practices. Administered by the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement, the accreditation program requires agencies to comply with the best practice standards. The IACLEA Assessment team will arrive on Sunday, April 12, 2026 to examine all aspects of the 51³Ô¹ÏÍø Police Department. The accreditation assessment is a highly prized recognition of campus public safety professional excellence.
University employees, agency members, and the public are invited to offer comments by calling (973) 642-4173 on Monday, April 13, 2026 between the hours of 10:00 - 11:00 A.M. Comments will be taken by the Assessment Team. Telephone comments must address the agency’s ability to comply with the IACLEA’s standards. The IACLEA manual is available on at . Written comments can be sent to jmurphy@iaclea.org.
The 51³Ô¹ÏÍø Police Department has to comply with 17 standards, in order to achieve accredited status. Chief Kesselman stated, “It is the goal of the 51³Ô¹ÏÍø Police Department to provide the highest quality public safety services to the campus community and visitors by enforcing laws, preserving peace, and reducing crime. We strive to foster partnerships, utilize proactive patrol, and emphasize community-oriented policing to ensure a safe and inclusive environment. It has aided us to refine, sharpen, and concentrate on those specific areas through this accreditation process, so we can ultimately serve the 51³Ô¹ÏÍø community to the best of our ability. This is a highly prized recognition that we are encouraged and hopeful to receive.â€
The accreditation managers for the 51³Ô¹ÏÍø Police Department are Sgt. Kevin Berge and Edna Garcia. The assessment team is composed of experienced campus law enforcement professionals from out-of-state. The assessors will review written materials, interview individuals, and inspect facilities where compliance can be witnessed. The assessors are Charles Simpson and John DeJarnette. Once the assessors complete their review of the department, they will report back to IACLEA, which will then decide if the department is to be granted accredited status. The accreditation cycle is granted for four years, during which the department must submit annual reports to remain in compliance.