The City of Kent Police Department updated its policies in partnership with the Ohio Collaborative Community-Police Advisory Board.

Kent State Police Department and Kent City Police update accreditation from KentWired.com on Vimeo.

Kent State University’s Police Department also renewed its polices in consideration to the standardization of the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, or CALEA for short. The University is just one of 500 law enforcement agencies with accreditation around the state of Ohio.

Kent State Community Resource Officer, Tricia Knoles, says the University received its accreditation in 1991 from CALEA. The Record Courier says the Ohio Collaborative Community-Police Advisory Board established the standards in August of 2015. The standardizations are intended to strengthen relationships between the police and their communities.

“In the past five cycles of accreditation we have actually met the level of excellence, which is the highest honor,” Knoles said.

The Kent State Police Department already met the majority of the requirements established this year by the Ohio Collaborative Police Advisory Board.

“An example of each standard and how we have met that standard pertains to our department. So they will come out and look at files of our reports to see how we have handled those and how they meet or exceed the standard. Once they do that they also do ride-alongs with our police officers; they will come in and interview us,” Knoles said.

Kent State’s Police Department needs to pass 486 standards every four years. This year both the Kent City Police Department and the university passed the proper protocol regarding the use of force.

“…try and deescalate them verbally, then we have to escalate, but not exceed the use of force. Their balance displacement holds. So, it is not something that is going to hurt the person per say, but it’s going to make them lose their balance so we can take them down safely,” Knoles said.

The Kent State Police prides itself on their accreditation along with the safety of the community. Each police department does not have accreditation.

“Not every police department is accredited. There is a handful of compared to how many police departments in the nation. So, giving the community a sense of safety and living in a safe community… and the way we handle the crimes that occur on campus,” Knoles said.

According to the Record Courier the newest protocol says both police departments in the city of Kent will involve the use of telecommunications too. The standardization calls for body cameras if a program is implemented at each station.

David Burgett is a TV2 reporter, contact him at [email protected].