A team of assessors from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA) will arrive July 20th to examine all aspects of the Collier County Sheriff’s Office policy and procedures, management, operations, and support services, Sheriff Kevin Rambosk announced Monday.
The team will verify that the Sheriff’s Office meets the organization’s state-of-the-art standards is part of a voluntary process to retain accreditation – a highly prized recognition of law enforcement professional excellence. The Collier County Sheriff’s Office was originally accredited by CALEA in November, 1994, and reaccredited in 1999, 2002, 2005, 2008, and again in 2011.
As a part of the assessment, agency employees and members of the community are invited to offer comments at a public information session set for 5:30 p.m. Monday, July 21. The session will be conducted in the Professional Development Center, 615 3rd Ave. South, on the Gulfview Middle School campus.
Anyone unable to attend the public information session may provide input by calling 239-252-0966 on July 21 between 2 and 4 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’s standards. A copy of the standards is available at the Sheriff’s Office Headquarters, Building J 2nd floor, in the Collier County Complex, at the Duty Officer’s station.
Persons wishing to offer written comments about the Collier County Sheriff’s Office’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 Collier County Sheriff’s Office will comply with more than 400 standards in order to be reaccredited.
The Accreditation Manager for the Collier County Sheriff’s Office is Sgt. Nicole Minick. She said the assessment team is composed of law enforcement practitioners from similar but out-of-state agencies. The assessors will review written materials, interview individuals, and visit offices and other locations where compliance can be witnessed. The assessors are Chief Douglas Middleton of the Henrico County Police Department in Virginia as the team leader, and Lt. Colonel Kenneth Gregory of the St. Louis County Police Department in Missouri. Once the assessors complete their review of the agency, they will report back to the full commission, which will then decide if the agency is to be granted re-accreditation status.
Accreditation is for three years, during which the Sheriff’s Office must submit annual reports attesting to continued compliance with those standards under which it was re-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, Va. 20155; or call (703) 352-4225 or email calea@calea.org.
