Not all that long after being named chief of the CCRI Campus Police Department in 2019, Sean Collins made accreditation of the department a personal goal.

In an interview, Collins said accreditation “wasn’t on the radar,” but once he outlined the process and what it would mean for the force, “the administration was very supportive.” Fulfilling the requirements took three years that culminated June 30 at a ceremony conducted by the Rhode Island Police Accreditation Commission (RIPAC) at the CCRI Knight Campus, making the CCRI department one of 33 accredited departments in the state. Headquarters and dispatch for the department that staffs four campuses are based at the Knight Campus. The department has 30 officers.

The accreditation process consists of two major components: (1) the establishment of a body of professional standards for police agencies to meet, and (2) a voluntary assessment process by which agencies can be publicly recognized for meeting those standards considered best practices for the profession. The Rhode Island Police Accreditation Commission comprises 216 accreditation standards of which 166 were applicable to a college police department.

Collins said the department developed policies and training practices to meet the standards. He said much of that work could be done online. The process required acquiring new software, training and reviewing and updating existing procedures.

As the case with Collins, many members of the college police force are people entering a second or even third career. They are not green when it comes to policing.

Collins served 26 years on the Warwick Police Department, retiring as a major. He went on to become the chief of the Simons College department and then moved on to CCRI putting him much closer to his home.

“I cut my commute from 61 to six miles,” he said.

CCRI police are not armed. They carry pepper spray and batons. The campuses do not have holding cells.

Collins said the college department works closely with the police departments of the host communities. He described much of the work of college police as “service oriented,” whether assisting students and staff or ensuring campus security and enforcing campus regulations.

In a statement issued by the college, Alix Ogden, associate vice president of administration, said, “The mission of our Campus Police is to protect and serve all those who learn, teach, and work at the college. This mission is grounded in a foundation of community service and treating all individuals with respect and fairness. Earning this accreditation is a symbol that our model of community policing works and is a testament to the leadership of Chief Sean Collins and the professionalism of all our Campus Police officers.”

Capt. Joseph Hopkins served as CCRI’s accreditation manager.

“I am so proud of our officers and staff for embracing the accreditation process and for measuring ourselves against the very best policies and practices. We strive to promote public confidence with our constituents by being fully transparent on how we operate, and I hope this accreditation gives the public the confidence knowing we hold ourselves accountable to the highest standards of professionalism in law enforcement,” Collins said in a statement.