SAVANNAH, GA (February 11, 2015): A team of assessors from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA®), will arrive Sunday (Feb. 15) to examine all aspects of the Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Police Department’s policy and procedures, management, operations, and support services, Chief Joseph H. Lumpkin Sr. announced today.
Verification by the team that SCMPD 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, Chief Lumpkin said.
As part of the assessment, agency personnel and members of the community are invited to offer comments at a public information session Monday, Feb. 16, at 7 p.m. The session will be conducted in the SCMPD Squad Room located at Metro Headquarters, 201 Habersham St.
If 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 (912) 651-6665 on Feb. 16 between 1 and 3 p.m.
Telephone comments as well as appearances at the public information session are limited to 10 minutes and must address the agency’s ability to comply with CALEA Standards. A copy of the standards is available at the SCMPD Squad Room. Local contact is Sgt. Roger Flannery, (912) 525-3100, ext. 8716.
Those wishing to offer written comments about the police department’s ability to meet the standards for accreditation are requested to write: Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement, Inc. (CALEA®), 13575 Heathcote Blvd., Suite 320 Gainesville, VA 20155.
SCMPD must comply with 189 standards to gain accredited status. Chief Joseph H. Lumpkin Sr. said, “The accreditation process represents an opportunity for external assessors to evaluate SCMPD’s compliance with international recognized standards. We look forward to the process and feedback.”
Accreditation 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 CALEA please write the commission at 13575 Heathcote Blvd., Suite 320 Gainesville, VA 20155; or call (703) 352-4225 or email calea@calea.org.
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