HOW TO COMMENT
IN PERSONAttend a public meeting about the police department’s performance:When: March 14, 6-8 p.m.Where: City Hall, 1000 Lindsay St., in the council chambersBY PHONECall the assessment team for the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies:What: 423-643-5200When: March 14, 1-3 p.mIN WRITINGSend comments on the police department’s performance to CALEA:Mail letters to: CALEA, 13575 Heathcote Blvd., Suite 320, Gainesville, Va., 20155Source: Chattanooga Police Department
Community members can weigh in on the Chattanooga Police Department’s performance in a public meeting on March 14.
The meeting is a required part of the process to earn re-accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, a national nonprofit organization that sets voluntary standards for law enforcement agencies.
“We want people to come in and say, ‘Hey this is how CPD treats people, this is what they do, and we think they need to be accredited or we think they don’t,'” said Vince Dauro, CALEA’s southeast program manager.
CALEA’s assessors are seeking input in four areas: policy and procedures, administration, operations and support services. The police department must meet CALEA standards in all four categories. Chattanooga police have been accredited since 2001.
The public meeting will be held from 6-8 p.m. in the city council’s chambers on March 14. The two-hour session will be facilitated by two CALEA assessors, who are looking at not only whether the department meets the organization’s standards, but also how police interact with the community, Dauro said.
“One of the big things about accrediting is we want them to be connected to the community,” he said. “It’s important to ask for feedback from the community.”
Citizens will be limited to 10 minutes each during the meeting, according to police. Community members who can’t make it to the public meeting also can call 423-643-5200 between 1 and 3 p.m. to give input over the phone.
In the past, CALEA renewed its accreditation every three years, but that is switching to a four-year cycle, Dauro said.
About 1,000 law enforcement agencies are accredited through CALEA. In Tennessee, 29 law enforcement agencies are accredited – including the police departments in Memphis, Knoxville, Nashville, Cleveland and Franklin.
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