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MUSC's Public Safety wins re-accreditation by Cindy Abole Public Relations Four years ago, MUSC’s Department of Public Safety initiated a process that would distinguish it among an elite brotherhood of fully-accredited law enforcement agencies, while confirming safety, service and continuous quality among the campus community.   Participants in the mid-August CALEA reaccreditation onsite visit included (back left to right) Stewart Mixon, David Hobson, Paul Verrachia, Lt. Bruce Robertson, Dr.  John Sutusky, Debbie Waggenbrenner and Chief Tom Brown. Its foresight and commitment to excellence resulted in international accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) not once, but now twice.   Last month, members of CALEA’s assessment team visited MUSC’s campus to interview operations and management personnel, review agency files and assess compliance procedures as part of the on-site assessment process.    Re-accreditation occurs every three years and the on-site assessment was conducted Aug. 18 to 21. Results of the on-site process were considered outstanding. The department was in compliance with 100 percent of all of the applicable 443 standards that make up the accreditation program. It is the assessors who recommend programs to undergo full accreditation.    “I had total confidence that the department would be recommended for reaccreditation by CALEA,” said Chief Tom Brown, director of Public Safety. “The managers of each component of the department have accepted compliance requirements as a way of doing business. We are service-oriented, but also retain the ability to respond to emergency situations effectively. The department has been fully supported by the university and hospital authority administration in its endeavor to maintain its status as a nationally recognized organization.”   Hospitals and universities seek and maintain accreditation in their respected areas, Brown said. MUSC’s administration believed that campus law enforcement should likewise seek this status.   “Given the variety of local crime incidents and the events following Sept. 11, this re-accreditation by CALEA is a wonderful testament to the quality and effectiveness of our public safety operations and campus community,” said John C. Sutusky, Ph.D., vice president for Finance and Administration. “I couldn’t be more pleased with this outcome.”   The department completed its first on-site assessment in Sept. 1999 which coincided with a visit by Hurricane Floyd to the Charleston area. Even with the university sustaining several million dollars in damage from the hurricane, Public Safety was still determined to complete the on-site assessment. The assessment was completed and recommended for full accreditation, which was awarded in a ceremony in Atlanta on Nov. 20, 1999.   “Chief Brown and the members of the Department of Public Safety are to be commended for the outstanding reaccredidation review that was conducted Aug. 18 to 22,” said Stewart Mixon, chief operations officer. “The review process evaluated the Department of Public Safety against more than 400 standards. The results reveal that the department complied with all the applicable standards and the review team had no major recommendations for improvement. This is a significant accomplishment, not just because the review team is recommending reaccredidation, but it is my understanding that this is a better end result than the department achieved during its original accreditation review three years ago.”    The accreditation team provided an intense review of the department’s policies, procedures and performance. The team was balanced and comprised of Chief Paul Verrecchia, of Brown University; David Hobson, executive staff advisor, Kentucky Department of Criminal Justice Training and Lt. Bruce Robertson, Centerville (Ohio) Police Department.    Of the 17,000-plus law enforcement agencies throughout the United States, only 526 are nationally accredited. Of that number, only 21 are campus law enforcement agencies. MUSC has the distinction of being the only health science center that has completed the accreditation process.    In South Carolina there are 22 accredited law enforcement agencies and only two are campus law enforcement agencies, which include the University of South Carolina and MUSC.   The team worked closely with Public Safety accreditation manager Debbie Wagenbrenner and Deputy Chief Ron Underwood who led the way towards preparing CALEA compliance. Chief Brown also recognized department line personnel and department managers for their active participation in the process.       Catalyst Online is published weekly, updated as needed and improved from time to time by the MUSC Office of Public Relations for the faculty, employees and students of the Medical University of South Carolina. Catalyst Online editor, Kim Draughn, can be reached at 792-4107 or by email, catalyst@musc.edu. Editorial copy can be submitted to Catalyst Online and to The Catalyst in print by fax, 792-6723, or by email to petersnd@musc.edu or catalyst@musc.edu. To place an ad in The Catalyst hardcopy, call Community Press at 849-1778.