SRIC Focus Group – Status Report

 


Commissioner Mary Ann Viverette         

Vice Chair

 

At the July 2003 CALEA Conference in Detroit, Michigan, the Commission instructed the Standards Review and Interpretation Committee (SRIC) to begin a review of the 4th Edition of the Standards for Law Enforcement Agencies, and a Focus Group was formed. It is the Commission’s responsibility to insure continued legitimacy and soundness in each of its standards.  Periodic review of the Commission’s programs is consistent with the philosophy of accreditation to insure contemporary professional standards and a continuing commitment to excellence in an ever-changing world.

 

As chairperson of the Standards Review and Interpretation Committee, I, along with former Commissioner Bill Miller, was appointed co-chairs of the Focus Group. Our task was to review the standards in all three programs and the processes associated with them.

 

The Focus Group is comprised of law enforcement professionals from small to large size agencies, sheriff’s offices, and municipal and state agencies. There are representatives from each of the CALEA programs, law enforcement, communications, and training academy, including police chiefs, sheriffs, command staff, and accreditation managers. They are divided into four subcommittees: Administration, Personnel, Operations, and Support; as well as three subcommittees on process: File Maintenance, Final Report, and Alliances and Partnerships.

 

Since the initial organizational meeting in September 2003, the Focus Group has met five times. All 446 Law Enforcement standards have been reviewed. The Focus Group, after careful deliberations have proposed 83 major changes to standards, requested 41 standards be deleted, and proposed an additional 57 new standards – 25 of which are the “asterisk” standards in Chapter 72 that are repeated again in Chapter 73. Because of the substantial number of necessary changes to standards, the Commission has decided to publish a 5th Edition of the Standards for Law Enforcement Agencies. The first draft of the new edition was sent May 15, 2005 to the Focus Group, and the Commissioners will receive a copy by June 15, 2005.

 

At the July CALEA Conference in Boston, Massachusetts, the SRIC will hold its meeting on Friday afternoon, rather than the traditional Friday morning time slot. The Standards Review and Interpretation Committee will convene at 1:15 PM on Friday, July 29, 2005. This time change will allow the full Commission to be present when the Committee accepts the submission of the first draft of the 5th Edition for review. The four sub-committee chairs will be present to discuss the major changes to standards in their respective areas. Immediately following, the full Commission will conduct their customary business session.