ATLANTA POLICE DEPARTMENT SEEKS ACCREDITATION 

WHAT:	Atlanta Police Department seeks accreditation by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies
WHEN:	December 11 through 16, 2004

At the request of the Atlanta Police Department (APD), the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) will send three assessors to determine whether the Department meets the 446 standards required for accreditation.  The assessors, who are experienced police professionals trained by the Commission for this task, will arrive on December 11th.

The assessors are:

            Deputy Chief Scott Cunningham, Tampa PD, team leader

MSgt. Albert Manint, Illinois State Police

Assistant Chief Kenneth Hall, Lexington (KY) PD

Besides visiting police facilities, interviewing police employees, and reviewing documentation, the assessors are available to hear from the public in two sessions.  The first is an opportunity to call the assessors at 404-817-7870 between 1:00 PM and 4:00 PM on Monday, December 13, 2004.  The second is a public forum for citizens to provide feedback to Assessors in the Council Chambers at City Hall beginning at 7:00 PM that same evening.

Telephone comments as well as appearances at the public information session are limited to five minutes and must address APD’s ability to comply with CALEA’s standards.  A copy of the standards can be reviewed at the Planning and Research/Accreditation Unit on the 9^th floor of City Hall East, 675 Ponce de Leon Avenue.

Anyone wishing to submit written comments about the Atlanta Police Department’s ability to comply with the standards for accreditation may send them to the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement, 10302 Eaton Place, Suite 100, Fairfax, Virginia 22030-2201.

When the assessors finish their work on December 16, 2004 they will report to the Commission.  The Commission will determine whether to grant accredited status to the Atlanta Police Department.

In July 2002, Mayor Shirley Franklin and Chief Richard Pennington set the goal of achieving Accreditation as a first priority.  Accreditation standards give the Chief Executive Officer a proven management system of written directives, sound training, clearly defined lines of authority, and routine reports that support decision making and resource allocation.  It provides objective evidence of an agency’s commitment to excellence in leadership, resource management, and service delivery.

CALEA Accreditation represents the highest standards and proven management practices for law enforcement agencies.  The law enforcement profession developed the standards over the last 25 years.  A police department’s involvement in the program is voluntary.  Achieving accreditation will ensure sound formalized management procedures, fair and nondiscriminatory practices, and overall improved service delivery.

For more information on the accreditation process, write the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement, 10302 Eaton Place, Suite 100, Fairfax, Virginia 22030-2201.  Or call them at 800.368.375.