Lake Bluff Police Will Undergo Re-Accreditation Process

Lake Bluff Police Department's policy and procedures, management, operations, and support services will be examined by a team of assessors from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA) on Jan. 8, Lake Bluff Chief William J. Gallagher said Thursday.

These include areas such as: 9-1-1 Communications, traffic enforcement, investigations, disaster plans, in-custody procedures, and even internal human resources. The Lake Bluff Police Department has to comply with 464 standards to retain accredited status, Gallagher said.
 
Verification by the team that the Lake Bluff Police Department meets the commissioner's state-of-the-art standards is part of a voluntary process for re-accreditation – a highly prized recognition of law enforcement professional excellence, he said.  The commission initially accredited the department in 1999.
 
As part of the on-site assessment, agency employees and community members are invited to offer comments at a public information session at 6 p.m. Monday, Jan. 10 in the Community Room at the Lake Bluff Police Department, 45 E. Center Ave.
 
If for some reason an individual cannot speak at the public information session but would like to provide comments to the assessment team, he/she may do so by telephone. The public may call (224)588-7094 between the hours of 1-3 p.m. on Jan. 10.

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. A copy of the standards is available at the Lake Bluff Police Department.
 
The accreditation manager and contact is Deputy Chief David Belmonte at (847) 234-2153. Written comments about the Lake Bluff Police Department's ability to meet the standards for accreditation can be sent to:  Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA), 13575 Heathcote Blvd., Suite 320, Gainesville, Va. 20155.

Approximately only a quarter of all law enforcement agencies are accredited, Gallagher said.

Belmonte said the assessment team is composed of law enforcement professionals from similar but out-of-state agencies. The assessors will review written materials, interview individuals, and visit offices and other places where compliance can be witnessed.  The assessors are:

• Randy Nichols, chief of Police (retired) from Pitt County Memorial Hospital located in North Carolina. Nichols was also a former bureau commander with the Greenville, NC Police Department.
• Shawna Williams, commander with the Knoxville, Tenn. Police Department.

Once the assessors complete their review of the agency. They report back to the full commission, which will then decide if the agency is to be granted re-accredited status at the next scheduled CALEA conference in March in Bethesda, Md.
 
Accreditation is for three years, during which the agency must submit annual reports attesting continued compliance with those standards under which it was initially accredited.
 
For more information regarding the Commission on Accreditation for Lake Enforcement Agencies, Inc.,  call (703) 352-4225, or visit their website, www.calea.org.