UNT Health Science Center Police Department

The Accreditation Process

This presentation is intended to:

educate department personnel as to what Accreditation is and what purpose it serves.

advise department personnel on what to expect during the next upcoming on-site assessment, during 2014.

How Accreditation came to be …CALEA was established in 1979 by four law

enforcement membership associations:IACP (International Association of Chiefs of Police), NOBLE (National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives), NSA (National Sheriffs’ Association) and PERF (Police Executive Research Forum)

In 1979 those entities formed CALEA

Commission for the Accreditation of Law Enforcement Agencies

Who governs CALEA?A Commission Board composed of 21 members

governs CALEA. Eleven must be law enforcement practitioners; the balance is selected from the public and private sectors. Generally, they reflect a representation from local, state/provincial and international law enforcement and public safety organizations, along with business, academia, the judiciary, and state/provincial and local government. The Commissioners are appointed by the four founding law enforcement organizations, and serve without compensation.

Purpose of Accreditation:

To improve the delivery of public safety services, primarily by: ◦maintaining a body of standards, developed

by public safety practitioners, covering a wide range of up-to-date public safety initiatives

◦establishing and administering an accreditation process

◦recognizing professional excellence.

Specifically, CALEA’s goals are to:Strengthen crime prevention and control

capabilitiesFormalize essential management

proceduresEstablish fair and nondiscriminatory

personnel practicesImprove service deliverySolidify interagency cooperation and

coordinationIncrease community and staff confidence in

the agency

Benefits of Accreditation

Set policies and proceduresGreater accountability within the

DepartmentInfluence for changeCommunity confidence and respectReduced risk and liability exposureStronger defense against civil lawsuitsProfessional Excellence

This Accreditation Program provides public safety agencies an opportunity to voluntarily demonstrate that they meet an established set of professional

standards which:

Require an agency to develop a comprehensive, well thought out, uniform set of written directives. This is one of the most successful methods for reaching administrative and operational goals, while also providing direction to personnel.

Provide the necessary reports and analyses a CEO needs to make fact-based, informed management decisions.

Require a preparedness program be put in place—so an agency is ready to address natural or man-made critical incidents.

Are a means for developing or improving upon an agency's relationship with the community.

Strengthen an agency's accountability, both within the agency and the community, through a continuum of standards that clearly define authority, performance, and responsibilities.

Can limit an agency's liability and risk exposure because it demonstrates that internationally recognized standards for law enforcement have been met, as verified by a team of independent outside CALEA-trained assessors.

Facilitates an agency's pursuit of professional excellence.

How is Accreditation accomplished ?

Application Self AssessmentOn-Site Assessment – last On-site March 2012

Commission Review and Decision – awarded July 2012

Maintaining Compliance and Reaccreditation

How do we comply with CALEA standards?

By providing “proof” that our policies and procedures are in compliance with each Standard: ◦Written Directive◦Documentation◦Interview◦Observation

Proof of Compliance:“Written Directive”

Standard: 1.3.3 A written directive governs the discharge of “warning” shots.

Proof: Copy of Policy

Proof of Compliance: “Written Documentation”

Standard: 42.1.1 – The criminal investigations function provides 24-hour service capabilities.

Proof: Copy of on-call schedules for Command Staff

Proof of Compliance:“Observation”

Standard: 81.2.2 - The agency has continuous two-way communications capability between communication center and officers on duty.

Proof: ◦Observe (or photographs)

officers handheld radios Mobile radios MDC’s

Proof of Compliance:

“Interviews”Standard: 34.1.1 - A written directive

defines the agency’s role in the promotion process for sworn personnel.

Proof: Interview◦Human Resource Rep.◦Capt. Support Services

Accreditation Files

There are 480 Standards, many have multiple bullets (over 1060)

One file for each StandardProvide Written Directives and

Written DocumentationProof for each bullet

On–site AssessmentIn March of 2012, CALEA sent Assessors

to our Department.Two Assessors looked at all proofs of

compliance, in detail, including interviews, ride-alongs and general observation. Some proofs were mailed to the Assessors in advance of the On-site.

The Assessors focus on the set up of systems.

And finally:Commission approval

Our Department went before the Committee of Commissioners in July of 2012 to review the Assessors Final Report. At that time, the Commissioners could 1) approve Accreditation 2) decline Accreditation, or 3) establish conditions. We were proud to find that they APPROVED ACCREDITATION for our Department.

What happens next, provided we obtain Accreditation?

Our Department has now begun the file maintenance process for the next three year cycle (2012, 2013, 2014)

Texas currently has 27 accredited agencies and 10 agencies in the Self-assessment phase. There are 8 accredited colleges/universities in Texas and 59 accredited colleges/universities in the United States.

Accredited Local Agencies◦ Arlington PD◦ Burleson PD◦ DeSoto PD◦ Flower Mound PD◦ Frisco PD◦ Highland Park DPS ◦ Hurst PD◦ Keller PD◦ Plano PD◦ Southlake DPS

Accredited Texas Universities◦ St. Edward’s Univ. PD◦ Univ. of Houston – Clear Lake PD◦ UNT HSC PD◦ UNT PD◦ Univ. of Texas Austin PD◦ Univ. of Texas Houston PD◦ Univ. of Texas San Antonio PD◦ Univ. of Texas Medical Branch PD

The United States currently has 555

Accredited agencies and 213 agencies in the Self-

assessment phase.There are also Accredited

agencies in Canada, Mexico, and Barbados

Any questions ?Please feel free to come by my office, or call

extension 5154.

Thank you, Jonathan Grose