This is a printer-friendly version of an article from Zip06.com.
05/20/2019 12:00 AMThe East Haven Police Department has achieved national Commission on Accreditation of Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) accreditation, Mayor Joseph Maturo and Police Chief Edward R. Lennon recently announced.
CALEA is a nationally recognized accreditation organization that ensures best practices and continuous self-evaluation of police agencies across the nation. Only five percent of police agencies nationally and approximately 20 percent of police agencies in the State of Connecticut have been accredited by CALEA, which is why the men and women of the East Haven Police Department are so proud of achieving this milestone.
The CALEA Accreditation Process is a proven modern management model; once implemented, it presents the chief of police, on a continuing basis, with a blueprint that promotes the efficient use of resources and improves service delivery—regardless of the size, geographic location, or functional responsibilities of the agency, Maturo and Lennon said.
As part of the process, the EHPD underwent a three-day onsite assessment to ensure compliance with the accreditation standards set forth by CALEA. A team of CALEA’s assessors conducted the onsite assessment at police headquarters in October 2018. The assessment team included public safety and law enforcement practitioners from out-of-state agencies who are trained and well versed in CALEA’s standards.
As a part of the onsite assessment, a public information session was held with the assessment team on Oct. 23, 2018, at the EHPD. Personnel of the EHPD and members of the community were invited to attend to offer comments regarding the EHPD’s ability to comply with CALEA’s standards.
“This is a great achievement for all the men and women of the EHPD. I am proud to be surrounded by hardworking professionals as we work to serve our community and make it better,” Lennon said. “Becoming accredited through CALEA was a natural transition for the EHPD as we exited the stringent U.S. Department of Justice Consent Decree. Accreditation assures the public that we hold ourselves accountable to a national standard of the best policing practices, that we continually reassess our practices, and that we are evaluated by an independent external body. I would also like to take this opportunity to extend a special thank you to Mayor Maturo and his staff for their steadfast support with this endeavor, along with all the men and women of the department, for their diligent work throughout this stringent process. The support of the administration and the community has been overwhelming.”
An overview of CALEA and its standards can be found at www.calea.org.