St. Charles Police Dept. to host open forum June 6
Community members are invited to offer comments about the St. Charles Police Department at a public information session at 5 p.m. Tuesday, June 6, in the city council chambers, 2 E. Main St.
The comments are part of an on-site assessment of the police department by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies Inc., and are required for the department to maintain its accreditation status. Comments are limited to 10 minutes per person and must address the police department's ability to comply with CALEA standards. A copy of the standards is available at the police department. To view the standards, contact Guy Hoffrage, accreditation manager, at (630) 762-6946.
What is CALEA Accreditation?
A team of CALEA assessors will be in St. Charles on June 5 to examine all aspects of the St. Charles Police Department, including policies, procedures, management, operations and support services. Verification by the team that the St. Charles Police Department meets the commission's state-of-the-art standards is part of the voluntary process to maintain accreditation, a highly regarded recognition of law enforcement professional excellence.
"The St. Charles Police Department values the accreditation process as a long-standing practice to ensure both compliance and adherence to the administration of law enforcement best practices," said Police Chief Jim Keegan. "Our standing as a long-term nationally accredited police agency is a sense of pride for our employees, residents and the City of St. Charles."
For those unavailable to attend the session, you can phone comments in to (630) 443-3719, from 1 to 3 p.m. Tuesday, June 6. Comments are limited to 10 minutes per person and must address the Police Department's ability to comply with CALEA standards. Or, send written comments to: Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA), 13575 Heathcote Blvd., Suite 320, Gainesville, Virginia, 20155.
The St. Charles Police Department must comply with all 484 standards to maintain its accreditation. CALEA conducts reaccreditation assessments every three years. The police department first received accreditation in 1987 and was the first police department in the Tri-City area to achieve this status. Since then, the police department has been reaccredited consecutively in 1990, 1993, 1996, 1999, 2002, 2005, 2008, 2011 and in 2014.
The CALEA Assessment Team
The assessment team is composed of law enforcement practitioners from similar out-of-state agencies. The assessors will review written materials, interview individuals, and visit officers and other places where compliance can be witnessed. The assessors are: team leader Stephen Walker, retired chief of police of the Centerville Ohio Police Department, and team member Barclay Stewart, deputy director of the Detroit Metro Airport Police Department. Once the assessors complete their review, they report back to the full commission, which will then decide if the police department is granted accredited status.
The police department must submit annual reports throughout the three-year accreditation period, attesting continued compliance with the accreditation standards.
For information regarding the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies Inc., write the Commission at 13575 Heathcote Blvd., Suite 320, Gainesville, Virginia, 20155. Or call (703) 352-4225.