CALEA® is dedicated to the improvement of public safety agencies and recognizes excellence through voluntary credentialing programs.

CALEA® encourages all public safety agencies to accept the challenge of international accreditation/recognition.

Soon to be Released!
CALEA's 5th Edition of the Standards
for Law Enforcement Agencies

Message from the Chair
 Jim O'Dell
At the Fall Commission Conference in Nashville, Tennessee, the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA^®) approved the final draft of the 5th Edition of the Standards for Law Enforcement Agencies (SLEA) on November 18, 2005. This was the culmination of an extensive, pains-taking review process, which began in July 2003, when the Commission authorized the creation of the Standards Review and Interpretation Committee (SRIC) Focus Group at the Detroit, Michigan, Conference. more

Accommodating Limited English Proficiency in Law Enforcement
In June 2002, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) published a guidance document for recipients of financial assistance that helps law enforcement agencies develop policies and procedures for dealing with non-English speaking individuals. The purpose of the Justice Department’s publication is to help agencies comply with the requirements of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and other related funding statutes.  more

New Commissioners Appointed to CALEA Board

Effective January 1, 2006, three new Commissioners each began a three-year term on the Commission Board. more
 

PSCAP and Standards To Be Reviewed
At the CALEA Conference in Nashville, Tennessee, November 2005, the Commission authorized the formation of a committee to review and recommend any appropriate changes to CALEA’s Public Safety Communications Accreditation Program (PSCAP) and the Standards for Public Safety Communications Agencies. Appointed chairperson was CALEA Commissioner Robert Greenlaw, Director of the Northwest Bergen (NJ) Central Dispatch. more

EXEMPLARY PROJECT
The Crime Prevention Academy 
Crime prevention information has traditionally been delivered to the general public in an ad hoc and/or superficial way in the form of pamphlets, fact sheets, lectures, or news releases. This often uninspired delivery, coupled with an often less than enthusiastic reception from the general public, makes the job of delivering meaningful crime prevention information difficult, to say the least. more

Click here for a list of agencies accredited, reaccredited, and recognized in Nashville, Tennessee.

CALEA Hosts Less Lethal Technologies Work Group
Beginning in July 2005, the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA^®) has hosted a series of meetings for members of the Less Lethal Technologies Work Group for Electronic Control Devices (ECD) or Tasers.  more

Attending the October 2005 meeting at the CALEA offices were CALEA Commissioner and International Association of Chiefs of Police President, Mary Ann Viverette, and Ted Sexton, National Sheriffs’ Association President.

Communications Open Channel
Wanda McCarley, President, APCO International
Because this is my first “Communications Open Channel” as APCO’s President, I’d like to take a moment to express my excitement for the wonderful things that are happening as CALEA and APCO work together toward accreditation for our public safety communications agencies. This column comes with sincere and heartfelt congratulations from APCO International to the agencies that have achieved or are working toward CALEA Public Safety Communications Accreditation. more

WELCOME TO CALEA
Between September 1, 2005 and December 31, 2005, the following agencies joined the CALEA family by signing initial Agreements: more

Executive Director’s Corner
Sylvester Daughtry, Jr.
As was reported in the last issue of the CALEA Update (#89, October 2005), the Commission accepted and approved at its Summer Conference in Boston, Massachusetts, the recommendations concerning the CALEA Alliance, CALEA Recognition, and Recognition Through Alliance (RTA) Programs made by the ad hoc committee chaired by Commissioner John D. Glover.  more

Bittner Award Presented  
Sheriff Garry E. Lucas of the Clark County, Washington, Sheriff’s Office was honored with the presentation of the Egon Bittner Award at the CALEA Fall Conference in Nashville, Tennessee. more
 

Making a Case for Preventive Policing
Since the middle of the twentieth century, police work in America has all been about responding – to 911 calls, to citizens’ requests for service, to radio calls of one kind or another. Officers have often felt that, as hard as they worked, they could never keep up – and they had no chance to actually get ahead of crime.  more
 

Your Commissioner -
Mary Ann Viverette
Commissioner Mary Ann Viverette began her law enforcement career in 1978 as a deputy with the Montgomery County (MD) Sheriff’s Office before joining the Gaithersburg (MD) Police Department a year later. She was appointed to the position of Chief of Police in 1986.  more

"Accreditation Works" presents first-hand testimonies of how accreditation positively affects an agency or community. These success stories can often go unheralded, so send your experiences to CALEA to be included. more

Four Commissioners Leave CALEA Board
  
The Fall CALEA Conference in Nashville, Tennessee, marked the end of CALEA Board service for four Commissioners: Jimmie Dotson, Stanley Glanz, Phil Keith, and Patsy Ticer. During their terms of service, these individuals dedicated an enormous amount of time and effort to faithfully fulfilling their responsibilities as Commissioners. more

Certificates of Meritorious Accreditation Announced
Seventeen agencies were recognized during the CALEA Conference Celebration Banquet in Nashville, Tennessee, for having been CALEA Accredited for 15 or more continuous years. These agencies receive an enhanced Certificate of Meritorious Accreditation, displaying a blue “Meritorious” ribbon and an inscription proclaiming their 15 or more years of accredited status.  more

CALEA FLAGSHIP AGENCY PROGRAM
Ten agencies were recognized at the Nashville, Tennessee, CALEA Conference under the new CALEA Flagship Agency program. The Flagship Agency program was introduced at the Winter 2004 Conference to acknowledge the achievement and expertise of some of the most successful CALEA Accredited public safety agencies, and also to provide “flagship examples” to assist other agencies.  more

Perfect Scores for Two Assessors 
At the Fall Conference in Nashville, Tennessee, two experienced CALEA assessors and team leaders received a prefect score on the CALEA Assessor Refresher Certification test: Howard Hall and Rob Sofie.  more