Duquesne University's public safety department has been accredited by the Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association.

It is the third university in the state to be accredited by the association; the other two are Carnegie Mellon University and Lehigh University.

Jim Caputo, director of public safety at Duquesne, began the two-year accreditation process in 2007.

The department will be accredited for the next three years.

Duquesne's Department of Public Safety employs 29 police officers, nine security guards and nine support staff.

Campus police officers receive Act 120 certification and annually receive 12 hours of mandatory training and firearms qualification training.

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