Metro News Release

For immediate release: December 21, 2004

Metro Transit Police department earns reaccreditation

The Metro Transit Police Department (MTPD), earned its national reaccreditation earlier this month, providing professional validation of the outstanding work the department undertakes to serve and protect Metro customers, employees and facilities. The MTPD earned its first accreditation in 2001. Reaccreditation status is considered every three years.

"We are extremely proud to have passed the rigorous requirements of the reaccreditation process," stated MTPD Police Chief Polly Hanson. "It was an intensely rigorous review of our standard operating procedures and activities. It adds a great measure of pride to know that we stack up favorably with any police force in this country that has undergone this process."

In August, the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA), dispatched an assessment team to Metro and conducted an on-site review of the MTPD. Law enforcement executives from other police departments reviewed MTPD from top to bottom, looking at standard operating procedures and policies, spending time with officers on patrol, attending roll calls and conducting in-depth interviews. They also held a public forum.

Chief Hanson and other MTPD Officers traveled to Austin Texas for the 25th Annual CALEA Conference earlier this month for the final reviews by a panel of CALEA commissioners.

Approximately 20 percent of all law enforcement agencies in the United States are accredited. "Reaccreditation means the Metro Transit Police are among an ’elite club’ of accredited police departments," Chief Hanson said.

News release issued on December 21, 2004.