A team of assessors from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA), will arrive August 26, 2006 to examine all aspects of the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office’s policy and procedures, management, operations and support services, Sheriff Ted Paxton announced today...
A team of assessors from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA), will arrive August 26, 2006 to examine all aspects of the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office’s policy and procedures, management, operations and support services, Sheriff Ted Paxton announced today.
Verification by the team that the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office meets the Commission’s state-of-the-art standards is part of a voluntary process to gain re-accreditation – a highly prized recognition of law enforcement professional excellence, he said.
As part of the on-site assessment, agency employees and members of the community are invited to offer comments at a public information session Monday, August 28, 2006 at 7:00 p.m. The session will be conducted at the Forsyth County Administration Building located at 110 East Main Street, Cumming, GA.
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 404-201-1269 on Monday, August 28, 2006 between the hours of 1:00 and 5:00 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 Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office, 875 Lanier 400 Parkway, Suite 137, Cumming, GA. Local contact is Mr. Jim Lockwood 770-781-2239.
Persons wishing to offer written comments about the Forsyth 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), 10302 Eaton Place, Suite 100, Fairfax, Virginia, 22030-2215.
“The Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office has to comply with 446 standards in order to obtain re-accredited status,” Sheriff Ted Paxton said.
The Accreditation Program Manager for the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office is Mr. Jim Lockwood. He 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 places where compliance can be witnessed. The assessors are: Once the Commission’s 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, Mr. Lockwood stated.
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 Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc., please visit www.calea.org or write the Commission at 10302 Eaton Place, Suite 100, Fairfax, Virginia, 22030-2215 or call 800-368-3757 or 703-352-4225.