MANSFIELD, Ohio – Chief Ken Coontz announced that a team of assessors from the Commission of Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA) will arrive on April 12 to examine all aspects of the Mansfield Division of Police including policy and procedures, management, operations, and support services. Verification by the team that the Mansfield Division of Police continues to meet the Commission’s state-of-the-art standard is part of a voluntary process to retain accreditation—a highly prized recognition of law enforcement professional excellence.
As part of the on-site assessment, agency employees and members of the community are invited to offer comments at a public information session, Monday, April 13 at 6 p.m. The session will be conducted in Council Chambers, of the Mansfield Municipal Building, 30 N. Diamond St., Mansfield, Ohio.
If for some reason an individual cannot speak at the public information session but would still like to provide comments to the assessment team, they may do so by telephone. The public may call 419-755-7460 on Monday, April 13 between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. Comments will be taken by the Assessment Team.
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 CALEA’s standards. A copy of the standards is available at the 2nd Floor Administrative Offices of the Police Division in the Mansfield Municipal Building. Local contact is Captain Shari Robertson at 419-755-9725.
Anyone wishing to submit written comments about the Mansfield Police Division’s ability to comply with the standards for accreditation is requested to write: Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement, Inc. (CALEA), 13575 Heathcote Boulevard, Suite 320, Gainesville, VA 20155
The Mansfield Division of Police has been accredited since 2006 and complies with 189 CALEA Standards in order to retain its accredited status. The accreditation process forces the Division to look closely at its policy and procedures while meeting what is considered to be the accomplished benchmarks of law enforcement. This process allows for revisions and the instituting of new procedures in the management of the Division to more closely reflect the high professional standards set by the CALEA Commission. The department welcome the outside review of its efforts to insure the necessary compliance level continues to be maintained.
The Accreditation Program Manager for the Mansfield Division of Police is Captain Shari Robertson. The assessment team is composed of law enforcement practitioners from similar, out-of-state agencies. The assessors will review online stored proofs of compliance in our PowerDMS software system, interview individuals, visit Police Division offices as well as other areas where compliance can be observed. The assessors are: Cheri Akselsen, Commander, Johns Creek (Georgia) Police Department and David Cheatle, North Charleston (South Carolina) Police Department.
The accreditation certification is good for three years; during which time the agency must submit annual reports attesting continued compliance with those standards under which they were initially accredited.
For more information regarding the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement, Inc., please write the Commission at 13575 Heathcote Boulevard, Suite 320, Gainesville, VA 20155 or call (703) 352-4225.