Accreditation Assessment Team Invites Public Comment
A team of assessors from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA), will arrive 03/22/15 to examine all aspects of the Poplar Bluff Police Department’s policy and procedures, management, operations, and support services, Chief Danny Whiteley announced today.
Verification by the team that the Poplar Bluff 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 on 03/23/15 at 5:30 p.m. The session will be conducted in the community room on the bottom floor of the Poplar Bluff Public Library located at 318 North Main Street in Poplar Bluff.
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 (537) 686-8622 on 03/23/15 between the hours of 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m.
Telephone comments as well as appearances at the public information session are limited to ten minutes and must address the agency’s ability to comply with CALEA standards. A copy of the standards is available at the Poplar Bluff Police Department. Local contact name is Sgt. Darron Moore at (573) 712-2590.
Persons wishing to offer written comments about the Poplar Bluff Police Department’s ability to meet the standards for accreditation/recognition are requested to write: The Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement, Inc. (CALEA), 13575 Heathcote Boulevard, Suite 320, Gainesville, Virginia 20155 or via e-mail at calea@calea.org.
“The Poplar Bluff Police Department has to comply with 189 standards in order to gain accreditation/recognized status”, Chief Whiteley said. “Accreditation is important to demonstrate what fine men and women we have in this department who are dedicated to providing the citizens of Poplar Bluff with the finest, most professional law enforcement services available.”
The CALEA Program Manager for the Poplar Bluff Police Department is Sgt. Darron Moore. He said the assessment team is composed of public safety practitioners from similar, but out-of state agencies. The assessors will review written materials, interview individuals, and visit offices and the locations where compliance can be witnessed.
The assessors are: Chief Scott Cunningham, team leader and Chief Richard Barnhart.
“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 maintain its accredited/recognition status”, Sgt. Moore stated.
Accreditation/Recognition 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 for Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. please write the Commission at 13575 Heathcote Boulevard, Suite 320, Gainesville, Virginia 20155 or call (703) 352-4225 or e-mail at calea@calea.org.