The Maplewood Police Department is working towards international accreditation with the Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies. Public input is part of the process, and the department asked 40 South News to post this announcement of a public hearing taking place on April 1.
(Maplewood, Mo – March 3, 2014) – Chief Stephen Kruse announced today that a team of assessors from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA®) will arrive Sunday, March 30, 2014, to examine all aspects of the Maplewood Police Department’s policies, procedures, operations and support services.
Verification by the assessment team that the Maplewood 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 Tuesday, April 1, at 5 p.m. The session will be held in the Council Chambers at the Maplewood City Hall, 7601 Manchester Road, Maplewood, MO.
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 (314) 502-0006 on Tuesday, April 1, 2014, between the hours of 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.
Telephone comments, as well as appearances at the public information session, are limited to ten (10) minutes and must address the agency’s ability to comply with CALEA standards. A copy of the standards is available for review at the Maplewood Police Department. For information regarding the standards or the accreditation process, please contact Sergeant Michael Martin at 314-646-3617.
Persons wishing to offer written comments about the Maplewood Police Department’s ability to meet the standards for accreditation are requested to write the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA®), 10302 Eaton Place, Suite 100, Fairfax, Virginia, 22030-2215.
The Maplewood Police Department has to comply with 188 standards in order to gain accredited status, Chief Kruse said.
The CALEA Accreditation Manager for the Maplewood Police Department is Sergeant Michael Martin. He said the assessment team is composed of public safety practitioners from similar, but out-of-state agencies. The assessors will review written material, interview individuals, and visit offices and other locations where compliance can be witnessed.
The assessors conducting the on-site accreditation process are Col. John Bruce, Chief of the Frisco, Texas Police Department and Col. John Smythe, Chief of the Burlington, North Carolina Police Department.
Once the CALEA Assessors complete their review of the agency, they report back to the full Commission, who will decide if the agency is to be granted accreditation status, Sergeant Martin stated.
Accreditation is valid for three years, during which time the agency must submit annual reports attesting continued compliance with those standards under which it was initially accredited.
For more information regarding the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. please write the Commission at 10302 Eaton Place, Suite 100, Fairfax, Virginia, 22030-2215; or call (703) 352-4225 or e-mail [email protected].