CALEA Update No 97

CALEA® is dedicated to the improvement of public safety agencies services, primarily through voluntary credentialing programs and by establishing and maintaining standards for the operation of public safety agencies. CALEA Accreditation facilitates the pursuit of professional excellence.

Message from the Chair
Jim O'Dell
Review of the Public Safety Training Academy Standards Begins
At the November 2007 Fall CALEA Conference in Colorado Springs, Colorado, the Commission approved the formation of a Training Academy Standards Review Committee for the purpose of reviewing the Standards for Public Safety Training Academies, first published in January 2002. Periodic review of the standards by practicing professionals is one of the foundations that make CALEA’s accreditation programs the benchmark for public safety professionalism. more

CALEA Assessor Policy Changes Announced
After an extensive staff review of our CALEA Assessor needs and available talent, significant changes in assessor selection and testing will begin at the Summer 2008 CALEA Conference in Boca Raton, Florida. We will accept CALEA Assessor applications from individuals with outstanding qualifications and five years of successful CALEA Accreditation experience. Our goal is to have approximately 25% of our assessor pool be non-supervisory personnel. We will seek to gradually achieve this goal, while all other requirements of our selection process remain in place. more

CASF Grant Recipients Announced
At the Spring 2008 CALEA Conference held in Atlanta, Georgia, the Commission’s CALEA Agency Support Fund (CASF) Committee selected six agencies to be awarded a 2008 CASF Grant. They are: more

Communications Open Channel

Willis Carter, President, APCO International
As always, APCO International is committed to continual relationship building with CALEA. Recently, CALEA and APCO International worked out agreements to help co-brand the Public Safety Communications Accreditation Program. This includes the reformatting of the actual award certificate to include the APCO International logo on the certificate itself, and also the inclusion of an APCO International representative during the Celebration Banquet awards ceremony at each CALEA Conference. In addition, all future brochures and other promotional collateral associated with the Public Safety Communications Accreditation Program will also be co-branded. more

CALEA TRI-ARC Excellence Award Presented
During the Celebration Banquet at the Spring CALEA Conference held in Atlanta, the CALEA TRI-ARC Excellence Award was presented. The award was created to recognize entities that, concurrently, hold all three CALEA Accreditation Awards: Law Enforcement, Public Safety Communications, and Public Safety Training Academy. more

Certificates of Meritorious Accreditation Presented
Twelve agencies were recognized during the CALEA Conference Celebration Banquet in Atlanta, Georgia 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

Three Police Departments Mark 22 Years of Accredited Status
Among those receiving their initial Law Enforcement Accreditation Award at the March 1986 CALEA Conference in San Diego were the Tallahassee (FL) Police Department, the Newport News (VA) Police Department, and the Lebanon (OH) Division of Police. At the March 2008 Celebration Banquet at the Atlanta Conference, these same three agencies were on hand to celebrate 22 years of continuous CALEA Accreditation. more

Changes to Standards Finalized
At its meeting at the Spring 2008 CALEA Conference in Atlanta, Georgia, the Commission’s Standards Review and Interpretation Committee (SRIC) finalized several changes to the Law Enforcement Standards. All CALEA clients were notified of these changes, which take effect immediately. more

Welcome to CALEA!
Between December 1, 2007 and March 31, 2008, the following agencies joined the CALEA family by signing initial Agreements: more

Track Police-Citizen Contact-A Study of the Pennsylvania State Police

In past years, numerous police departments around the country have faced allegations that its officers engaged in racial or bias-based policing. Many of those allegations were unfounded, but did, however, result in organizational change. Others became acrimonious battles between complainants, the community, and the police department with no one benefiting from the discourse. When the allegations were aired in the media, regardless of the validity or lack thereof of the complaint, they eroded public trust with those served by the departments involved. Ultimately, they were not resolved without litigation. more

Your Commissioners – Robinson and Virgil-Giron
After receiving an honorable discharge from the United States Army, Commissioner J. Grayson Robinson began his law enforcement career in 1972 as a police officer with the Littleton (CO) Police Department. He served Littleton as a police officer, sergeant and division commander. In 1992 Robinson joined the Arapahoe County (CO) Sheriff’s Office as a captain and was appointed undersheriff in 1996. more

Commissioner Rebecca Vigil-Giron, formerly the Secretary of State for New Mexico, was appointed to the CALEA Board in February 2006. She is an 11^th generation New Mexican, born and raised in Taos, New Mexico. She is currently running for the United States Congress, representing New Mexico District 1. more

presents first-hand testimonies of the positive outcomes of CALEA Accreditation for an agency. These success stories reflect the often unreported benefits experienced by CALEA Agencies and all are encouraged to submit their own examples to CALEA to be shared. more

Those who could not attend the November 2007 CALEA Conference in Colorado Springs missed an experience of a lifetime. Not only were there the usual informative sessions, but the venue left nothing to be desired. Truly a five star hotel in every sense of the word, the Broadmoor impressed by its physical presence, and even more so through its superlative staff. Regardless of the employee’s job title, each served as a friendly ambassador to make every guest’s stay a memorable and enjoyable experience. more

CALEA FLAGSHIP AGENCIES - Atlanta Conference

Thirteen agencies were recognized at the Atlanta, Georgia, Spring CALEA Conference as a CALEA Flagship Agency. The Flagship Agency Program was introduced in December 2004 to acknowledge the achievement and expertise of some of the most successful CALEA Accredited Agencies, and also to assist others by providing “flagship examples.” more

Atlanta, Georgia was the site of the Commission’s 85^th CALEA Conference. Not even a tornado in downtown Atlanta on Friday night could prevent this conference from happening or dampen the spirit of everyone in attendance! Our conference hosts, the Atlanta Police Department and the Georgia Police Accreditation Coalition (GPAC) were there to lead us during the tense moments of the storm and demonstrated the true meaning of ‘southern hospitality.’ more

Atlanta Conference Awards

The city of Canton is located in western Wayne County, Michigan, approximately 20 miles west of Detroit. It is one of the fastest growing communities in the state and is comprised of 36 square miles, with approximately 87,000+ residents. Established in 1976, the Canton Police Department is one of the newer departments in the area. It has been CALEA Law Enforcement Accredited since November 2007. more

DATA BASE HELP

CALEA needs your help in maintaining an accurate database. Please notify CALEA when there are changes made in your organization that may affect CALEA. These include changes in CEO’s or accreditation managers, agency address, or changes in area codes, telephone, fax and extension numbers. Your cooperation enables us to maintain an up to date database.

Additionally, PAC officials should notify CALEA of appropriate changes.