The Henderson Police Department’s site-based assessment has concluded and Chief Marcus Barrow said if all goes well, the department will receive its formal accreditation in spring 2025.
Barrow said an assessor from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies arrived last Sunday, Dec. 8 and completed the assessment tasks before leaving on Dec. 12.
“He gave accolades to our Command Staff during our exit interview,” Barrow told WIZS News, “and we will hopefully hear back from the commission next month.”
The Henderson Police Department has held accredited status with CALEA since 2002.The local police department has held accredited status since 2002.
The assessment looked at the department’s adherence to national standards and best practices related to life, health and safety procedures, according to information from Capt. Chris Ball of the Henderson Police Department.
There are 462 specific professional standards the department must comply with to achieve and maintain accreditation status. Reaccreditation is a thorough and demanding process, and successful completion demonstrates that policies, practices and procedures align with the highest levels of law enforcement professionalism.
Accreditation follows a four-year cycle, during which police departments like the HPD must maintain electronic records to prove compliance. The records are reviewed remotely each year, culminating in a site-based assessment in the fourth year.
As part of the process, the public is invited to submit feedback via the CALEA portal at http://cimrs2.calea.org/481.
The purpose of this public portal is to receive comments regarding an agency’s compliance with CALEA standards, engagement in the service community, delivery of public safety services and overall candidacy for accredited status. These comments can be in the form of commendations or concerns. The overall intent of the accreditation process is to provide the participating agency with information to support continuous improvement, as well as fostering the pursuit of professional excellence.
It is important to know that CALEA is not an investigatory body, and subsequently, the public portal should not be used to submit information for such purposes. Additionally, there will be no response other than acknowledgement to submissions; however, the information will be considered in context to its relevancy to compliance with standards and the tenets of CALEA® Accreditation.
Standard titles may be viewed on the CALEA website: https://www.calea.org/node/11406. The Henderson Police Department participates in the advanced level of accreditation. Questions related to the accreditation process may be directed to the Accreditation Manager at bstrother@hendersonpd.nc.gov.
