Jim O'dell
Commission Chair
CALEA’s 25th
Anniversary Conference in Austin, Texas was a huge success. I came away with a
renewed appreciation of just how far the Commission has progressed in a quarter
century! Ninety-two public safety agencies were accredited, reaccredited, or
recognized by the Commission at this conference, bringing us to a total of 688
agencies with current CALEA Awards. The entire conference was a fine tribute to
the past, present, and future of CALEA, as the 1100 plus registrants can attest.
Many former Commissioners
were in attendance and were honored for their service, ideas, ingenuity, and
continued support. Current Commissioners were humbled by the path cleared for
them thus far, and intend to keep paving the way for future Commissioners. The
contributions of two early CALEA leaders, Dr. Egon Bittner and Mr. James V.
Cotter, were acknowledged by naming two new, continuing CALEA Awards in their
honor. The ten recipients of the Bittner and Cotter Awards reflect some of the
best executives in public safety. [See the article on the Awards Recipients.]
The increased
“professionalism” of the conference was brought to my attention over and over
again, from the type and quality of the classes and workshops, to the high
quality information and marketing materials produced. One just needs to compare
such items as today’s upcoming conference announcement brochure, the Conference
Agenda, or the Commission newsletter, the CALEA Update, with earlier
versions to see how far we have come.
Also improved over the
years has been the selection, training, and testing for CALEA Assessors, which
has greatly enhanced the overall quality of the on-site review and the written
final report. Taken into consideration with the additional credentialing
programs CALEA now offers, and new products like the CACE™ software programs, it
is obvious our commitment to client service and the accreditation process has
also been enlarged and strengthened.
Amongst the fun and
fanfare, a lot of work was also accomplished at the Austin Conference. The
Commissioners conducted their annual election of the Executive Board, and I am,
once again, honored to serve as Commission Chair for another term. My experience
as a CALEA Commissioner continues to expose me to superior professional insight,
and the opportunity to hear and share ideas with some of the most informed and
progressive public safety officials in the field. It is an opportunity for which
I am grateful.
CALEA accomplished much
over the past 25 years, but the list of “yet to do” continues to grow. Thank you
for your continued support and input via the online forums on the website and at
the conferences. CALEA’s members have always been, and continue to be, are our
most valuable resource.
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