A team of assessors from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) will arrive August 1 to examine all aspects of the Charles County Sheriff’s Office policies and procedures, management, operations and support services as part of the Agency’s continued efforts to maintain its accreditation. The Sheriff’s Office is seeking its 6th re-accreditation.
“The purpose of this visit by the team of assessors is to confirm the Charles County Sheriff’s Office continues to meet the commission’s standards and is part of a voluntary process to maintain CALEA accreditation,” said Sheriff Troy D. Berry.
During the on-site assessment, Agency employees and members of the community are invited to comment at a public information session Monday, August 1 at 7 p.m. The session will be conducted in the training classroom located at the Charles County Sheriff’s Headquarters, 6915 Crain Highway, La Plata, MD.
Any person who cannot speak at the public information session but would still like to provide comments to the assessment team may do so by telephone. Calls will be taken by the assessment team at 301-609-6517 on Tuesday, August 2 between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.
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 standards. The CALEA standards are available for review from the office of Planning and Accreditation at the Sheriff’s Office Headquarters, located at 6915 Crain Highway in La Plata. The Planning and Accreditation Office may be contacted at 301-609-6419.
Anyone wishing to offer written comments about the Charles County Sheriff’s Office’s ability to meet the standards for accreditation may write to John Gregory, Regional Program Manager, at the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. 13575 Heathcote Blvd. Suite 320 Gainesville, VA 20155.
“CALEA assessors are law enforcement professionals from agencies located some distance away in order to maintain the objectivity of the assessment process,” said Danny Johnson, the Agency’s Deputy Director of Planning and Accreditation.
The assessors this year are Major Paul Baggett, Polk County Sheriff’s Office, Lakeland, Florida, and Lt. Virgil Hubbard, Knoxville Police Department, Knoxville, Tennessee. They will review written materials, interview individuals, and visit offices and other places where compliance with CALEA standards can be verified. Once the Commission’s assessors complete their review of the Agency, they report to the full Commission, which will then decide if the Agency is to be re-accredited.
Accreditation is for three years, during which the agency must submit annual reports affirming continued compliance with those standards under which it was accredited. For more information regarding CALEA, call 800-368-3757 or 703-352-4225 or visit www.calea.org.
Charles County Crime Solvers offers rewards of up to $1,000 for information that leads to the arrest or indictment of a person responsible for a crime in Charles County. Anyone with information about an unsolved crime or the location of a fugitive may contact Charles County Crime Solvers by calling 1-866-411-TIPS, texting CHARLES + the tip to CRIMES (274637) or submitting tips online at tipsubmit.com. All individuals who provide tips through Crime Solvers will remain anonymous. Learn more at the CCSO’s website.
The Charles County Sheriff’s Office is a full-service law enforcement agency comprised of more than 600 police, corrections and civilian personnel responsible for protecting more than 150,000 residents. The CCSO was accredited by the Commission on the Accreditation of Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) in 2001 and has been designated as a CALEA Gold Standard of Excellence agency since 2011. Established in 1658, the CCSO is one of the oldest law enforcement agencies in the United States. For more information, visit www.ccso.us.
Media Contact
Diane Richardson
301-609-6557
richardsond@ccso.us