News Flash

A team of assessors from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA®), will arrive Sunday, March 20, 2016, to examine all aspects of the Durham Police Department’s policies and procedures, management, operations, and support services, Interim Police Chief Larry Smith announced today. Verification by the team that the Durham Police Department meets the Commission’s state-of-art standards is part of a voluntary process to gain accreditation—a highly prized recognition of public safety professional excellence. As part of the assessment, agency personnel and members of the community are invited to offer comments at a public information session on Tuesday, March 22, 2016, at 6:30 p.m. The session will be conducted in the Committee Room located at City Hall, 101 City Hall Plaza, Durham, NC 27701.

If for some reason an individual cannot speak at the public information session but would still like to provide comments to the assessment team, he/she may do so by telephone. The public may call (919) 560-4594 on Monday, March 21, 2016, between the hours of 3:00 p.m. and 5:00 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 CAELA Standards. A copy of the standards is available upon request. To request a copy of the standards contact Diana Palladino at (919) 560-4581.

Persons wishing to offer written comments about the Durham 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 or email [email protected]

The Durham Police Department has to comply with 381 standards in order to gain accredited status.

“CALEA accreditation ensures Durham residents that the department’s policies and procedures are timely and are in compliance with local, state, and federal laws and regulations,” said Interim Chief Smith.

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. DPD earned CALEA’s prestigious Gold Standard Accreditation in 2013, and has achieved accreditation since 1991.

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; call (703) 352-4225 or email [email protected]