Accreditation Works

Case Number 52  

In the early 1990s, the Valdosta, Georgia, Police Department was a law enforcement agency in crisis, receiving precious little public confidence as a result of several scandals, some of which received national attention by the media. The agency was being intensely criticized by the public it served, the media, and other law enforcement agencies. City officials found themselves in the midst of several scandals involving allegations of police cover-ups and corruption at the top levels of the department, and replaced the Chief of Police. During the same time as the city’s decision to shake up the department, there was discussion among state officials, concerning the possibility of removing police powers from the entire agency and utilizing other law enforcement agencies to provide police services. City officials immediately sought to rectify this situation and do what they could to re-instill within the community a sense of trust in its law enforcement.

In 1995, the city selected Charles F. Simons to lead the Valdosta Police Department into the future and out of the abyss of negative publicity. Having come from an accredited agency and already aware of the intrinsic value to be found in law enforcement accreditation, Chief Simons advised city officials he would use CALEA Accreditation as one of his management tools to ensure Valdosta’s citizens received professional law enforcement services.

Chief Simons was tasked with major challenges to improve training, upgrade equipment, and improve police practices. The department entered the accreditation self-assessment process and began revamping policies and procedures to meet compliance with CALEA Standards, while also seeking cooperation from outside organizations to include other law enforcement agencies, civic groups, and the media. The men and women of the Valdosta Police Department worked steadily toward the goal of accreditation, and the department achieved its initial accredited status in 1999.

Using the CALEA Accreditation Program as an organizational change device, the department utilized individual standards to rebuild public trust in an organization that had lost that trust. Among the ways this was achieved was to involve the media in its accreditation self-assessment efforts. Previously the “us against them” mentality existed between the media and the department. The men and women of the department worked hard to overcome that relationship. Media organizations were provided standards regarding public information and input was requested in policy development. The media was asked how the department could make improvements in police/media relations. The department designated a primary and alternate public information officer, provided a daily activity log to the media, and involved the media in the department's accreditation on-sites, to include direct participation in panel reviews.

The department also focused on improving public relations and perceptions, particularly among its minority community. Currently, complaints and criticism are welcomed. All complaints are investigated thoroughly and criticism is an integral part of the department’s analysis of services. Citizens are provided follow-up letters and receive a phone call from department personnel outlining the results of their complaints. The department has developed an effective process for responding to the issue of biased-based profiling. Training occurs annually for officers and the department has adopted policies and an organizational culture where bias-based policing is not only prohibited; if it did exist it would be immediately detected and corrected. As a result, the department has received very positive input from members of the minority community in Valdosta on agency procedures dealing with this sensitive issue.

An intensive effort was initiated to improve community-policing practices. The department has significantly increased the number of neighborhood watch groups, operates two Citizen’s Police Academies annually, received federal funds to establish Weed and Seed Areas, and provides a full-time Community Policing Officer.

Valdosta’s government officials are briefed on the department’s accreditation efforts. As a result, the department receives continued support from its elected officials, to the extent that each department member receives an accreditation incentive bonus of over $1,500 annually for as long as Valdosta Police Department remains accredited. Excellent support has also been provided by government officials to the department for needed improvements in equipment and technology. Valdosta Police Department now provides for a take-home car policy and all vehicles feature mobile data terminals with on-board NCIC, Incident Reporting, and Crime Analysis Maps.

During the past ten years the Valdosta Police Department has transformed from an “agency in crisis” to a professionally run and efficient community-oriented law enforcement agency most folks would be proud to join. Now it is not unusual to hear citizens compliment the Valdosta Police as one of the best law enforcement agencies in the State of Georgia. The “icing on the cake” for this success story came at the conclusion of the Valdosta Police Department’s second reaccreditation on-site assessment when it was notified that it had been selected as a CALEA Flagship Agency. The men and women of the Valdosta Police Department not only enjoy excellent support from their community, the media, and city officials, they know the philosophy of CALEA and Chief Simon’s vision is directly responsible.

Brian Childress, Captain

Valdosta (GA) Police Department