Police Accreditation Assessment Team Invites Public Comment

(Salem) - The Salem Police Department has to comply with over 450 standards in order to gain `accredited status" with Commissions on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA)

Verification by an assessment team that Salem Police meet the Commission's state-of-the-art standards is part of a voluntary process to gain accreditation--a highly prized recognition of law enforcement professional excellence.

The Salem Police Department has been working toward accreditation for the past three years.

A team of assessors from CALEA will arrive on Saturday, March 4th to examine all aspects of the Salem Police Department's policies and procedures, management, operations, and support service.

As part of the on-site assessment, agency employees and members of the community are invited and encouraged to offer comments at a public information session on Monday, March 6th, at 2:00 PM. The session will be conducted in the Anderson Auditorium located at the Salem Public Library, 585 Liberty Street SE, Salem, Oregon.

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 (503)588-6050, ext 7104 on Sunday, March 5th 2006, between the hours of 1:00 - 5:00 PM.

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's standards, policies, and procedures. A copy of the standards is available for viewing at the Salem Police Department. Local contact is Lt. Scott Hayes, Accreditation Manager, (503)588-6122.

Those wishing to offer written comments about the Salem Police Department's ability to meet the standards for accreditation are requested to write: Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc., (CALEA). 10302 Eaton Place, Suite 100, Fairfax, Virginia, 22030-2215.

The Accreditation Program Manager for the Salem Police Department is Lt. Scott Hayes. The CALEA assessment team is composed of law enforcement practitioners from similar but out-of-state agencies. The assessors will review written materials, interview individuals, visit offices and other places where compliance can be witnessed.