Accreditation Assessor Invites Public Comment
A team of assessors from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA) will arrive April 16, 2011 to examine all aspects of the Lee’s Summit Police Department’s policy and procedures, management, operations, and support services.
Verification by the team that the Lee’s Summit 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. The Department was awarded Recognition by CALEA in 2008.
As part of the on-site assessment, agency personnel and members of the community are invited to offer comments at a public information sessions on April 18, 2011, 6:00pm – 8:00pm. The session will be conducted in the Municipal Court Room located at 10 NE Tudor Road, Lee’s Summit, Missouri.
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 816-969-1769 between the hours of 1:00pm and 3:00pm, on Monday, April 18, 2011.
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 Lee’s Summit Police Department, by contacting Sgt. Lance Stokes, 816-969-1704.
Persons wishing to offer written comments about the Lee’s Summit Police Department’s ability to meet the standards for accreditation are requested to write: Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA), 13575 Heathcote Boulevard, Suite 320, Gainesville, Virginia 20155.
The Lee’s Summit Police Department is required to comply with 403 standards in order to gain accredited status. Chief Piccinini said, “This process has made our Department/City better in many ways: Our policies adhere to national best practice standards that lead to public confidence; CALEA has built in mechanisms to provide historical data or documentation and these mechanisms compel our agency to analyze data at pre-determined intervals in order to be able to make changes if necessary; CALEA has promoted better information sharing within the organization and we have developed central repository locations for the storage of department data”.
The Accreditation Manager for the Lee’s Summit Police Department, Sgt. Lance Stokes, said, “The assessment team is composed of public safety practitioners from similar, out-of-state agencies. The assessors will review written materials, interview individuals, and visit offices and other locations where compliance can be witnessed.”
The CALEA Assessment Team will consist of: Captain Vincent Dauro (Team Leader) and Lieutenant Easlyn Bailey.
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 be granted accredited status.
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 the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. please write the Commission at 13575 Heathcote Boulevard, Suite 320, Gainesville, Virginia 20155; call (800) 368-3757 or (703) 352-4225; or email calea@calea.org