AAPD to undergo voluntary evaluation

By Seva Gunitskiy
For the Daily

For the third time in its history, the Ann Arbor Police Department will undergo a test of national accreditation, designed to show whether the AAPD is maintaining a certain standard of professional excellence.

A three-member assessment team from out-of-state agencies will examine every aspect of the inner workings of the department, from holding facilities to emergency services to pursuit policies.

The comprehensive test reviews 436 standards and takes four days to complete. Members of the assessment team include law enforcement agents from Florida, Georgia and Canada, who will ride along with police officers, interview people, and review department files.

Deputy Chief Gary Kistka, accreditation program manager, said the evaluation is voluntary, but is important because "we believe that it makes us a more professional department." Only six police departments in Michigan are certified under this program.

Police Chief Carl Ent said the accreditation is important for city residents, who he feels expect and deserve high-quality law enforcement.

"It is important for the community to know that we pay attention to procedures and policies," Ent said.

The assessors will report the results of their evaluation to the Committee on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Professional Agencies.

That group will then decide whether to recommend the department for accreditation, with results of their decision made known in late July.

A public information session will be held tonight as part of the evaluation, to allow citizens of Ann Arbor to express views and suggestions on the performance of the AAPD. The assessors will take the comments into account when evaluating the department.

"If a citizen raises an issue," said Kistka, "and they feel we're not complying with a certain standard, then we have to defend ourselves."

AAPD actions have been called into question this year by many students because of increased raids on fraternity and house parties.

Chief Ent responded to these criticisms by stating that the raids agreed with community standards. "All of the actions were within policy," said Ent. "We didn't do anything illegal or immoral."

Many believe the death of LSA first-year student Courtney Cantor caused the AAPD to later step up campus party patrols. Cantor died Oct. 16 after falling from her sixth floor Mary Markley Residence Hall window, hours after she had been seen drinking at a fraternity party.

Michigan Student Assembly representative Joe Bernstein said he feels some practices of the police department are improper because they investigate situations where Bernstein said he feels Department of Public Safety actions would be more appropriate.

"AAPD spends a lot of time in student areas, and a lot of what they do could be accomplished by DPS," Bernstein said. "They are stepping on each other's toes."

Kiska said the evaluation will not explore the AAPD's actions in particular instances, but will instead examine the appropriateness of the department's general standards.

The public hearing is scheduled to begin at the Campus Safety Building, 1239 Kipke Drive, at 7 p.m.

Those who are unable to attend the meeting are encouraged to phone in their comments today between 1 p.m. and 5 p.m., at 994-2887.

05-17-99