RICHLAND COUNTY — A team of assessors from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. will conduct a virtual review Nov. 16-17 to examine all aspects of the Richland County Sheriff’s Office.
The review will examine the department’s policies and procedures, management, operations, and support services, Sheriff J. Steve Sheldon announced Thursday.
Verification by the team that the RCSO meets the commission’s state-of-the-art standards is part of a voluntary process to gain accreditation — a highly prized recognition of public safety professional excellence, he said.
As part of the assessment, agency personnel and members of the community are invited to offer comments by calling 419-774-5658 on Nov. 16 between 1 and 3 p.m. Comments will be taken by the assessment team.
As an additional part of the assessment, agency employees and members of the community are also invited to offer comments on Tuesday at 1 p.m. This will be conducted via a Zoom on-line platform.
Email Richard Schuller at rschuller@richlandcountyoh.gov to request a link to the meeting and a reply email with the link will be sent.
Telephone comments at either public information sessions are limited to 10 minutes and must address the agency’s ability to comply with CALEA standards. The standards are available for viewing at the Richland County Sheriff’s Office by contacting Schuller at 419-774-5658.
Persons wishing to offer written comments about the Richland County Sheriff’s Office’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, Va., 20155.
The Richland County Sheriff’s Office has to comply with 189 standards in order to gain re-accredited status, Sheldon said. He said the accreditation process benefits the Sheriff’s Office and Richland County residents by ensuring the law enforcement agency remain committed to providing the highest quality of professional service.
Accreditation is for four 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, Inc. please write the Commission at 13575 Heathcote Boulevard, Suite 320 Gainesville, Virginia 20155; or call (703) 352-4225 or email calea@calea.org.
