CL Police Department Earns International Law Enforcement Advanced Accreditation

 
The Crystal Lake Police Department was awarded Advanced Accreditation on March 23, at a Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) conference in North Charleston, S.C.
  
Law enforcement accreditation is a voluntary, internal process by which organizations seek to achieve, objectively verify, and maintain high quality in their operations through periodic evaluations conducted by an independent, non-governmental body that has established international standards for its clientele, according to Crystal Lake Police Cmdr. Dan Dziewior.

CALEA Accreditation signifies the Crystal Lake Police Department has met specific standards of excellence and operates according to norms established by practitioners in the public safety field, Dziewior stated in a release.

"Accreditation compels the agency to operate within specific guidelines and adopt policies and procedures that meet internationally accepted practices," Dziewior said.

"The accreditation process is a management model and a blueprint for self improvement, which strengthens accountability within the Crystal Lake Police Department and the community we serve."

Through a U.S. Department of Justice grant, CALEA was created in 1979 as a credentialing authority through the joint efforts of four leading law enforcement executive associations: International Association of Chiefs of Police, National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives, National Sheriff’s Association and Police Executive Research Forum, Dziewior said.

From Oct. 1-4, 2012, a team of assessors from CALEA completed an on-site assessment of the Crystal Lake Police Department.

During the four day assessment, assessors reviewed policies and procedures, management operations and support services of the department. During the exit interview, the assessors related the Crystal Lake Police Department had an excellent on-site assessment and found the agency in compliance with all applicable standards, Dziewior said.

The final written report indicates the men and women of the Crystal Lake Police Department are friendly, conscientious and well-trained professionals.
 
Testimony before a panel of four commissioners relating to the assessor’s final report was provided at the conference by Commander Brian Karr.

The Commissioners Panel determined the agency met the requirements for Advanced Accreditation and all 21 commissioners voted to award Crystal Lake Police Department with Advanced Accreditation, Dziewior said.

The Crystal Lake Police Department is one of only four law enforcement agencies in McHenry County, 51 in Illinois, and 620 nationally to become CALEA Accredited.  

Re-accreditation is for a period of three years, during which the Crystal Lake Police Department must submit annual reports attesting to continued compliance with the 480 standards.