The Picayune Police Department has been working toward the goal of National Accreditation through the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, also known as CALEA for the past two years. The process involves every aspect of the Picayune Police Department, including all policies, procedures, training, orderliness, cleanliness, and overall organization of the department.
Last Sunday, the final assessment team arrived from Illinois and Ohio to begin the process of assessing the police department along with all policies and procedures to ensure the operation of the department was adhering to the 444 standards as set by CALEA. The assessment process looks for the documentation in the records files to insure the policies are being adhered to and that they comply with the national standards approved by CALEA. The assessment usually takes three days to complete with three assessors reviewing the entire operation, as well as interviewing the police department personnel.
The team began with a tour of the newly established evidence office and storage facility on Sunday at approximately 8:30 a.m. The team then toured the police department’s headquarters and continued to the Criminal Investigations Offices on Martin Luther King Boulevard. The assessors were impressed with the operations of all three facilities and commented on the organization of all buildings and offices.
Their work then turned to the policies and procedures as to the compliance to the CALEA standards and the documentation of each to show the proof of compliance to the 444 mandatory standards.
After completing the assessment, the team of assessors held a closing meeting with the police department staff, city manager and mayor to review the findings of the assessment. After reviewing the policies and procedures, conducting personnel interviews, and riding with the officers, the assessors said that it found the Picayune Police Department to be in compliance with all national requirements and standards established by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies. The assessment team said it was recommending the Picayune Police Department to CALEA for national accreditation.
The team was comprised of three professional law enforcement executives, which praised the Picayune Police Department operations and personnel for the overall professionalism exhibited during their assessment.
The recommendation for accreditation will be forwarded to CALEA from the assessors, with a final decision on accreditation of the Picayune Police Department to be made by the Commission in November of this year.
National accreditation of the Picayune Police Department will increase the ability to prevent and control crime through more effective and efficient delivery of law enforcement services to the community.