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CASE #4 (Issue #63: January 1997)Submitted by Chief Ron Ferrell, Mason (Ohio) Police Department
Having been a member of the very first on-site assessment team in 1983, it did not take me long to realize the benefits of accreditation. At that time, I was a police chief in a department of similar size. Like many of my fellow police chiefs, a lack of model policies and procedures was my most significant problem. In search of assistance from some of the most respected police departments, I was surprised to learn that they also shared my problems and concerns.Suddenly, at the assessment, the answers to my problems began to come into focus. Since that initial pilot on site, I have witnessed the transformation of countless police departments through their involvement with accreditation. Recently retired and working on a second career with the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation and Identification, I have been exposed to a completely different type of law enforcement, that of the state agency environment. It is at this level that the value of accreditation takes on added meaning. Most state agencies, as well as a lot of sheriff's departments, experience more "across the board" management changes than their municipal counterparts. Quite often this contributes to a lack of consistency in policies and procedures and very little continuity from one administration to another. Policies and procedures adopted and implemented based on national standards (CALEA) greatly contribute to a consistent mission and direction for these agencies. Possibly, the most significant contribution a CEO may make to his organization is the implementation of a comprehensive policies and procedures manual which will provide a professional transition for future administrators. |
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