New Jersey Institute of Technology's (NJIT) Public Safety Department has received accreditation from the New Jersey State Association of Chiefs of Police (NJSACOP), whose mission is "to promote and enhance the highest ethical and professional standards in law enforcement at all levels throughout New Jersey." NJSACOP will present the university with an accreditation certificate at the department's annual swearing-in ceremony, to be held July 12 from noon to 2 p.m. at NJIT's Weston Hall.
The recognition signals professional excellence in law enforcement and follows a 17-month-long process that required an extensive internal review of standard operating procedures and a comprehensive external assessment by NJSACOP. This assessment considered comments from the NJIT and Newark communities about the NJIT Public Safety Department, and involved a campus visit to examine the department's policies and procedures, management, operations and support services. The assessment team included law enforcement practitioners from similar agencies throughout the Garden State.
"NJSACOP accreditation will lead to greater accountability within our agency, reduced risk and liability exposure, stronger defense against civil lawsuits, increased community advocacy and more confidence in our agency's ability to operate efficiently and respond to community needs," said NJIT Police Chief Joseph Marswillo. "This milestone is undoubtedly the greatest accomplishment in our department's history, and has driven positive and necessary change. Most importantly, it is a testament of the value of collaborative team efforts."
"Accreditation from the NJSACOP verifies that the NJIT Public Safety Department meets 'best practice' standards in law enforcement," added Andrew P. Christ, vice president for real estate development and capital operations at NJIT. "The university is fortunate to have Chief Marswillo and the entire NJIT Public Safety Department keeping our campus safe, and we congratulate them on receiving this highly prized acknowledgement."
Among the new tools and procedures implemented at NJIT as a result of the accreditation process are a certified 9-1-1 public safety system staffed with professionally trained dispatchers and the adoption of body-worn cameras for every NJIT public safety officer. During the three-year accreditation period, the NJIT Public Safety Department must submit annual reports attesting to its continued compliance with 105 NJSACOP "best practice" standards.
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For more information, contact Lieutenant Michael V. Villani, NJIT Public Safety Department, at 973-596-3119 or villani@njit.edu.
About NJIT
One of the nation's leading public technological universities, New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) is a top-tier research university that prepares students to become leaders in the technology-dependent economy of the 21st century. NJIT's multidisciplinary curriculum and computing-intensive approach to education provide technological proficiency, business acumen and leadership skills. With an enrollment of 11,400 graduate and undergraduate students, NJIT offers small-campus intimacy with the resources of a major public research university. NJIT is a global leader in such fields as solar research, nanotechnology, resilient design, tissue engineering and cybersecurity, in addition to others. NJIT is among the top U.S. polytechnic public universities in research expenditures, exceeding $130 million, and is among the top 1 percent of public colleges and universities in return on educational investment, according to PayScale.com. NJIT has a $1.74 billion annual economic impact on the State of New Jersey. (njit.edu)