The Starkville Police Department opened its doors and filing cabinets to Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) assessors this week as the law enforcement agency seeks a three-year reaccreditation designation from the organization.
The reaccreditation process began in May, and on-site events — in-house reviews, public listening sessions and phone polls — were held Sunday and Monday.
Officials said they will remain in Starkville at least through Tuesday.
CALEA accreditation measures police departments with almost 200 standards that touch upon all facets of administering and managing law enforcement. The standards help agencies develop operational directives, strengthen accountability and improve community relations, according to the CALEA website.
“It’s a top-down look. We focus on issues with safety, administration and things that can cause liability for both the department and the city. Three years ago, it was about reaching accreditation. Today, we’re asking, ‘Are you still (following the standards)? Can you show us in a way where we can appreciate that you’re (reaching the standards) every day and every time?’ It’s about complying and not just reading from a directive,” said R. Steven Bailey, a CALEA assessment team leader.
Bailey is a retired Miami, Ohio police chief who teaches at Miami University.
“Our work right now involves things like reading incident reports, arrest reports, letters and memos — statistical collections of data. It’s a gigantic mountain,” he said. “Of the thousands of law enforcement agencies in the country, only 4-5 percent of them are participating in (national CALEA accreditation efforts). Kudos to Starkville.
“Communities sometimes ask, ‘What’s the value to us?’ (Accreditation) shows you have an agency doing its best to meet a national set of guidelines and best practices, and that they want to hold themselves above that other 95 percent that doesn’t bother to participate,” Bailey added.
Without divulging CALEA assessments before the reaccreditation process ended, Bailey identified numerous SPD strengths, including its officer training and community outreach programs.
“Weaknesses? I see the same kinds here as many others, like with paper trails,” he said. “These things are correctable, and what they require can be as simple as another set of eyes.”
SPD previously earned the national CALEA accreditation in 2012 after receiving recognitions in 2008 and 2010. The national designation stands for three years before reaccreditation processes begin.
“We were the first Mississippi municipality to try the tiered program, and hopefully we can carry on the tradition,” said SPD Chief Frank Nichols.
Nichols oversaw accreditation efforts in 2012 under then-Chief David Lindley.
“Accreditation doesn’t just fall on the shoulders of our accreditation officer; it’s the responsibility of everyone in this department. We have to demonstrate that we’re meeting these high standards,” Nichols said. “My main goal when I took office was to try and touch the public in all aspects in regard to policing. With all of these things — from satellite stations to the Citizens Police Academy — I don’t want people to say we’ve left them out.”
Carl Smith covers Starkville and Oktibbeha County for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter @StarkDispatch
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