A team of assessors from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA), will arrive March 5, to examine all aspects of the Cleveland Police Department’s policy an procedures, management, operations and support services, Chief Mark Gibson announced on Saturday.
Verification by the team that the Cleveland Police Department meets the Commission’s state-of-the-art standards is part of a voluntary process to gain accreditation—a highly prized recognition of public safety professional excellence he said.
As part of the on-site assessment, agency personnel and members of the community are invited to offer comments at a public information session March 6, 2018 at 3:00 pm. The session will be conducted in the Community Room of the Cleveland Police Department located at 100 Church Street NE, Cleveland, Tn. 37311.
If for some reason an individual cannot speak at the public information session but would still like to provide comments to the assessment team, he/she may do so by telephone. The public may call (423) 559-3389 on March 7, between the hours of 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.
Telephone comments as well as appearances at the public information session are limited to 10 minutes and must address the agency’s ability to comply with CALEA Standards. A copy of the standards is available at the Cleveland Police Department. Local contact is Lieutenant Scott Bronze, (423) 559-3389.
Persons wishing to offer written comments about the Cleveland Policed Department’s ability to meet the standards for accreditation are requested to write: Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement, Inc., 10302 Eaton Place, Suite 100, Fairfax, Va. 22030-2215.
The Cleveland Police Department must comply with 484 standards to gain accredited status, Chief Mark Gibson said.
The CALEA program manager for the Cleveland Police Department is Regional Program Manager Vince Dauro. He said the assessment team in composed of public safety practitioners from similar, but out-of-state agencies. The assessors will review written materials, interview individuals, and visit offices and other locations where compliance can be witnessed.
The assessors are Chief Phillip Crowell, Auburn Police Department, Auburn, ME and Lieutenant Jeffery Dodson, Culpeper Police Department, Culpeper, Va.
Once the CALEA assessors complete their review of the agency, they report back to the full Commission, which will then decide if the agency is to be granted accredited status, Mr. Dauro said.
Accreditation is for three years, during which the agency must submit annual reports attesting continued compliance with those standards under which it was initially accredited.
For more information regarding the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. please write the Commission at 10302 Eaton Place, Suite 100, Fairfax, Va. 22030-2218; or call (800) 368-3757 or (703) 352-4225 or email calea@calea.org.