Two accreditations place Elon Campus Safety and Police in rare company.
This story was originally published in the November issue of The Leaflet, Elon’s quarterly printed newsletter.
Elon Campus Safety and Police earned a rare dual accreditation from the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators and the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies. Fewer than 100 law enforcement agencies across the country have earned dual accreditations. The department has held accreditation through IALEA since 2018 and earned accreditation through CALEA in 2025.
Joe LeMire, chief of Campus Safety and Police, said the recognition reflects years of work completed by members of the department and the high level of professionalism for department policies and procedures.
“I could not be more proud of this department and the professionalism they display every day to meet the needs of all students, staff, faculty and visitors,” LeMire said. “The true benefit is for the campus community, which can trust that its police and security services meet these standards and continue to improve.”
Doug Dotson, assistant chief of Campus Safety and Police, oversees the accreditation process. He said both accrediting bodies establish standards based on best practices for law enforcement agencies. Assessors visit each agency to conduct interviews with personnel and review policies and documentation to confirm that the level of service provided aligns with those established standards.
“These processes require you to closely examine your day-to-day operations and the ways they measure against best practices,” Dotson said.
The accreditation process has allowed the department to strengthen policies and improve training and equipment, ensuring officers have the tools necessary to successfully meet these standards.
Dotson added that annual reviews for the commission and four-year reviews for IALEA help the department maintain a high level of professionalism.
