UP communications center earns law enforcement organization's accreditation

Union Pacific Railroad's Response Management Communications Center (RMCC) recently earned accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies Inc. (CALEA) for a commitment to law enforcement excellence.

RMCC is one of just a few private communications centers to receive accreditation, UP officials said in a press release. Only 17 percent of U.S. law enforcement agencies are accredited, according to CALEA.

The honor is reserved for agencies that demonstrate the highest standards in policy and procedures, administration, operations and support services, UP officials said. To qualify for accreditation, RMCC met criteria for more than 200 professional standards.

"We are proud of CALEA's validation that the RMCC is committed to providing the very best public safety communications as we serve our employees, customers and the nearly 7,300 communities in which we operate," said Bob Grimaila, UP's vice president of safety, security and environment.

RMCC has evolved from a dispatching center for UP's police force to a critical link within the railroad's security response system, UP officials said. The center's critical call dispatchers answer phone calls 24/7 from employees, law enforcement officials and members of the public who report emergencies and other incidents occurring on UP property.

CALEA was established in 1979 by the International Association of Chiefs of Police, National Organization of Black Law Enforcement, National Sheriffs' Association and the Police Executive Research Fund.