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It feels good to be first鈥撯�揺specially when being first means you鈥檙e helping to solve crimes and keep CU Boulder students safe.

The CU Boulder Police Department鈥檚 property and evidence unit is the first university police department in North America to earn the , a process that took about two years to complete. SCS鈥檚 Stephen Campbell, a 28-year veteran of law enforcement, awarded the certificate to the unit in June and will conduct an in-person visit in late spring 2022 to conduct a one-year review.

The accreditation process put everything under the microscope: the unit鈥檚 evidence collection, intake and storage procedures, as well as the 鈥減urging鈥� of evidence from solved cases, plus all of the unit鈥檚 policies.

Property and evidence supervisor Will Heskett noted that earning the accreditation during a pandemic created some unique challenges. Onsite visits transitioned to lengthy Zoom sessions. But, as rigorous as the process was, COVID-19 also provided the gift of time. With fewer students on campus and less evidence flowing in and out (the office normally handles thousands of items per year), Heskett was able to dedicate more听resources toward earning the accreditation.听

One of the most detailed elements of accreditation was an audit of nearly two dozen random cases selected for inspection. Along with leveraging Heskett鈥檚 experience throughout the process, CUPD utilized the consulting services of Dr. Maria Pettolina. Pettolina has more than a decade of experience in the forensic field. She was hired by CUPD in 2018 to assist with the accreditation and remains contracted to help with property research. The unit will also undergo annual reviews prior to re-accreditation every three years.听

The idea to become the first campus police department to earn this accreditation came from CUPD鈥檚 Chief Doreen Jokerst. Heskett and Pettolina say Jokerst鈥檚 support throughout the lengthy accreditation process was crucial.

鈥淧roperty and evidence can be one of those areas that flies under the radar, so to speak, so it was great that we had support from our chief to align ourselves with best practices,鈥� Heskett said.

Pettolina added, 鈥淚 can say CUPD is exceeding best practices. The department is compliant and accountable, and this helps build trust with the community.鈥澨�

CUPD鈥檚 property and evidence unit is adding a specialist to the team in the near future. When that happens, Campbell says the new hire will benefit from the many hours of work put into earning the accreditation, including the creation of a new training manual.

鈥淭he new hire will be put through a detailed training to a level I have never seen before. CUPD is the gold standard for universities,鈥� Campbell said.

Earning this accreditation means more than just being 鈥渇irst.鈥� It鈥檚 also a step toward building trust between the police department and the campus community in an era defined by protests in the wake of the killing of George Floyd.

鈥淎ccreditation in law enforcement is more important now than ever. It鈥檚 an investment,鈥� Pettolina said.

Campbell added, 鈥淚t鈥檚 important for the university community to get a feel for how the police handle evidence, whether it鈥檚 for prosecution or exoneration. People want to know safety is the number one focus.鈥澨�

As for Heskett, he said it was 鈥減ats on the back all around鈥� upon learning his unit was the first university property and evidence section to earn such an honor. Then, it was back to work in a busy unit that doesn鈥檛 rest on its laurels.