Accreditation Assessment To Be Conducted Remotely
LAKELAND, FL (April 22, 2020) - The Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA®) on-site accreditation team review, scheduled to begin on Tuesday, May 4, 2020, will now be conducted remotely with agency members as a precautionary measure due to COVID-19. The Lakeland Police Department is seeking dual reaccreditation for both the agency as a whole and the 911 Emergency Communications Center. The accreditation team will examine all aspects of the Lakeland Police Department’s policy and procedures, management, operations, and support services.
The in-person public information session scheduled for Tuesday, May 5, 2020 at 5:00 p.m. has been cancelled. However, the public can still provide comments to the assessment team by calling (863) 834-2705 on Tuesday, May 5, 2020, between the hours of 2:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. Telephone comments are limited to 10 minutes and must address the agency’s ability to comply with CALEA Standards. Persons wishing to offer written comments about the Lakeland Police Department’s ability to meet the standards for accreditation are requested to write: Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement, Inc. (CALEA®), 13575 Heathcote Boulevard, Suite 320 Gainesville, Virginia 20155.
A copy of the standards is available via a public records request. Contact Tom Trulson, Public Records Response Coordinator at 863.834.6947 or tom.trulson@lakelandgov.net.
The Lakeland Police Department has to comply with 462 standards and our 911 Emergency Communications Center must comply with 199 standards in order to gain accredited status, Chief Garcia said. “Accreditation is a voluntary process our agency participates in to ensure we are meeting and exceeding the high standards we’ve set for ourselves and the nationally accepted practices and standards set by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc.”
Accreditation is for four years, during which the agency must submit annual reports, and participate in annual remote web-based assessments attesting continued compliance with those standards under which it was initially accredited.
For more information regarding the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc., please write the Commission at 13575 Heathcote Boulevard, Suite 320 Gainesville, Virginia 20155; or call (703) 352-4225 or email calea@calea.org.
Media inquiries should be directed to mediarelations@lakelandgov.net.