Accreditation Assessment Team Invites Public Comment

Dover, DE. - A team of assessors from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA) arrived today Monday, April 11, 2016, to examine all aspects of the Delaware State Police’s policy and procedures, management, operations, and support services.

“Verification by the team that the Delaware State Police meets the Commission’s state-of-the-art standards is part of a voluntary process to gain accreditation – a highly prized recognition of law enforcement professional excellence,” says Delaware State Police Superintendent Nathaniel McQueen.

As part of the on-site assessment, agency employees and members of the community are invited to offer comments at a public information session on Wednesday, April 13, 2016 at 4 p.m. The session will be conducted in the Delaware State Police Museum Conference room which is located at 1425 North DuPont Highway Dover, DE 19901.

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 (302) 257-3758 on Wednesday, April 13, 2016 between the hours of 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. Comments will be received by the Assessment Team.

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 Delaware State Police Troop 2 located at 100 Lagrange Avenue Newark, DE 19702. The local contact is the Accreditation Manager, Sgt. William Nottingham, at (302) 365-8474.

Anyone wishing to offer written comments about the Delaware State Police’s ability to comply with standards for accreditation may send them to the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA), 13575 Heathcote Blvd., Suite 320, Gainesville, VA, 20155.

The Delaware State Police has to comply with over 483 standards in order to gain accredited status, Colonel Nathaniel McQueen said.
The Program Manager from CALEA for the Delaware State Police is Mr. John Gregory. 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 places where compliance can be witnessed.

The assessors are:

Team Leader: Mr. Dean Register, Florida Department of Law Enforcement
Team Member: Ms. Cindy Ledford, Georgia Bureau of Investigation
Once the CALEA 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 accredited status, Program Manager John Gregory 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. (CALEA), please write to 13575 Heathcote Blvd., Suite 320, Gainesville, VA, 20155; or call (703) 352-4225.