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Accreditation WorksCase Number 44
Another area in which the CALEA standards proved to be invaluable, was that of evidence storage/handling. At the time, we had felt that our evidentiary procedures were quite thorough, but in examining the standards, we learned that there were a number of things that we could do to tighten up the process.
Our initial accreditation was obtained in November of 1996. At that time, we made the decision to use the accreditation process as a management model. We found that the process encompassed all of what we considered to be the “best business practices” for a law enforcement agency. It provided a framework for appropriate policies, schedules for reports and inspections, methods to promote, and demonstrate, accountability, and a certain level of liability protection. An unexpected benefit was the pride our employees took in being able to say that they work for an accredited agency. This has taken on even more meaning as the process has become ingrained in our organization.
The accreditation process has played an important role in modernizing our department, and more importantly, is working on a daily basis to keep us that way.
John C. Carlson, Chief of Police Tucson (AZ) Airport Authority Police Department
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The
Tucson Airport Authority Police Department made the decision to pursue
accreditation in mid-1994. As work began on the process, it was soon realized
that there were a great many issues addressed by the CALEA standards, than we
then currently dealt with in our written policies. Foremost, was our use of
force policy. It consisted of one paragraph, and really didn’t focus on the main
point, which was to give our officers adequate guidance to facilitate their
making good decisions when it came to when to use force, and how much. The CALEA
standards regarding the use of force, and other attendant items, such as
authorized weapons, qualifications, etc., gave us the framework to construct a
comprehensive use of force strategy that not only provided our officers with
guidance, but gave the Airport Authority an element of protection. That
protection is derived from constructing policies from national standards, which,
in essence, have been, developed through the experiences of police agencies all
across the country.