Accreditation team invites public comment
The following media release comes directly from the UHCL Police Department.
Chief Paul S. Willingham announced today that a team of assessors from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA®) will arrive Dec. 5, 2011 to examine all aspects of the University of Houston-Clear Lake Police Department’s policy and procedures, management, operations and support services. The assessment team is composed of top public safety practitioners from similar, but out-of-state, agencies. The assessment team members assigned to review the University of Houston-Clear Lake Police Department are:
Team Leader:
Dr. Thomas Johnson, Ph.D.
Chief of Police
Western Carolina University Police Department
Team Member:
Ms. Blythe Frausto
Accreditation Manager
Arizona State University Police Department
Verification by the team that the University of Houston-Clear Lake Police Department meets the Commission’s industry best practice standards is part of a voluntary process to gain national accreditation – a top recognition of public safety professional excellence. Only three percent (3%) of all law enforcement agencies in the United States have earned accreditation.
As part of the on-site assessment, agency personnel and members of the community are invited to offer comments at a public hearing session on Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2011 at 6:00 p.m. The public hearing will be held in the Garden Room within the Bayou Building on the University of Houston-Clear Lake Campus (2700 Bay Area Blvd. Houston, Texas 77058).
If for some reason an individual cannot speak at the public hearing, but would still like to provide comments to the assessment team, he or she may do so by telephone. The public may call 281-283-2233 on Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2011 between the hours of 2:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m.
Telephone comments as well as appearances at the public hearing session are limited to ten minutes and must address the agency’s ability to comply with CALEA standards. A copy of the CALEA standards is available at the University of Houston-Clear Lake Police Department Business Office at Bayou 1636 between 8:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. The UHCL PD contact is Ms. Kelley Reid, at 281-283-2231.
Anyone wishing to submit written comments about the University of Houston-Clear Lake Police Department’s ability to comply with the standards for accreditation should send written correspondence to:
Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies
13575 Heathcote Boulevard, Suite 320
Gainesville, VA 20155
or send an email (with University of Houston-Clear Lake Police in the subject line) to calea@calea.org.
The University of Houston-Clear Lake Police Department must comply with 189 standards in order to gain accredited status. The assessors will review written materials, interview individuals and visit offices and other locations where compliance can be witnessed.
Once the CALEA assessors complete their review of the agency, they report back to the Commission, which will then decide if the agency is to be granted accredited status. Accreditation is for three years, during which the agency must submit annual reports, attesting continued compliance with those standards under which it was initially accredited.
For more information regarding the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, please write the Commission at the aforementioned address or visit them on the web at www.calea.org or email them at calea@calea.org.
For more information about the University of Houston-Clear Lake Police Department or its endeavor to reach accredited status, please contact:
Paul S. Willingham
Chief of Police
policechief@uhcl.edu
281-283-2222
or
Ms. Kelley Reid
Accreditation Coordinator
reidkel@uhcl.edu
281-283-2231
