A team of assessors from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA), will be coming to Clinton on July 11 to examine all aspects of the Clinton Police Department policy and procedures, management, operations, and support services.
Verification by the team that the Clinton Police Department meets the commission’s state-of-art standards is part of a voluntary process to gain accreditation, which Chief Jay Tilley said was “a highly prized recognition of public safety professional excellence.”
As part of the on-site assessment, agency personnel and members of the community are invited to offer comments at a public information session, Tuesday, July 12, beginning at 5:30 p.m. The session will be conducted in the Clinton City Hall Conference Room, located at 221 Lisbon St. in Clinton.
If for some reason an individual cannot speak to the public information session, but would still like to provide comments to the assessment team, they may do so by calling 910-299-4900 ext. 3041 on Tuesday, July 12, between 1 p.m. 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, according to a department press release. A copy of those standards is available at the Clinton Police Department and copies can be obtained by contacting Belinda Parker at 910-592-3105.
Persons wishing to offer written comments about the Clinton 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.
The Clinton Police Department has to comply with 188 standards in order to gain accredited status, Tilley said. Keeping that status shows that the department is conducting itself in a professional manner, the chief has said.
“The accreditation process is a valuable tool in developing police procedures and personnel to best serve the citizens of Clinton,” he said.