Last week, Maplewood Police Chief Steve Kruse, Accreditation Manager Sergeant Michael Martin, Mayor James White and City Manager Marty Corcoran traveled to Schaumburg, IL, to seek accreditation for the Maplewood Police Department from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA), Maplewood Chief of Police Steve Kruse reports.
They appeared before a CALEA Commission Review Committee regarding the agency’s compliance to applicable standards and the Commission voted to award the Maplewood Police Department accreditation.
The department becomes one of only eight St. Louis County municipal police departments, which includes St. Louis County and Richmond Heights Police, that are currently accredited by CALEA, and one of twenty-two CALEA accredited law enforcement agencies in the State of Missouri.
CALEA’s goals are to strengthen crime prevention and control capabilities, formalize essential management procedures, establish fair and nondiscriminatory personnel practices, improve service delivery, solidify inter-agency cooperation and coordination, and increase community and staff confidence in the agency.
The accreditation process takes three years to complete and the Maplewood Police Department began its five phases or steps in 2011. The CALEA Accreditation award is for three years and the department is required to maintain continuous compliance during the award period.
Chesterfield, Clayton, Creve Coeur, Florissant, Richmond Heights, Shrewsbury and Webster Groves also have CALEA Accreditation in St. Louis County.
Congrats to the Maplewood PD for this great achievement, and especially Sergeant Michael Martin, who worked so hard toward this goal.