CALEA® is dedicated to the improvement of public safety agencies services, primarily through voluntary credentialing programs and by establishing and maintaining standards for the operation of  public safety agencies. CALEA Accreditation facilitates the pursuit of professional excellence.

 Message from the Chair
 Jim O'Dell
At the Fall CALEA Conference in Reno, Nevada, the CALEA Commissioners approved the draft of the 2nd Edition of Standards for Public Safety Communications Agencies for public comment. The draft standards were posted on the CALEA website, with a January 19, 2007 deadline for comments. The comments will be considered by the Communications Review Committee, headed by Commissioner Bob Greenlaw, for possible standards adjustment, and resubmitted to the full Commission at the Spring 2007 Conference in Greensboro, North Carolina.

On-site Assessment Report Being Reviewed
At the March 2006 CALEA Conference held in Jacksonville, Florida, Commission Chairperson Jim O’Dell directed Commissioner Louis Dekmar to chair an Ad-hoc committee to review the on-site assessment team’s final report. Their mission was to review the current on-site assessment report and develop a new document that would address the needs of the Commission. more

In August 2002, the Greenbelt (MD) Police Department started the first criminal justice class designed to target high school juniors and seniors who were interested in the criminal justice field. The department worked with the administrative team of Eleanor Roosevelt High School to implement a college level course that prepares 11^th and 12^th grade students for entry into the criminal justice field. Believed to be the first class in the State of Maryland taught by a police officer, it is presented in a lecture format, augmented with audio visuals and guest speakers from various law enforcement fields.  more

A Stranger in Your House — Investigating Online Predators
Among the most dreaded calls in any police department are those to investigate missing children. Contributing to that sense of dread, is the thought that the missing child may be gone because of a lack of understanding the technology involved with online child predators. This is how it starts: A parent wakes up at two in the morning because they ‘just felt something wasn’t right.’ The patrol officer gets to the address to find that the 14 year-old daughter is gone. The parents know that she chats on the Internet, so they check and find a message. The last line in the message says, “I can’t wait 2 finally meet u….see u in 15.” Now patrol is calling you….what are you going to do? more

Your Commissioner – Louis M. Dekmar
Commissioner Louis M. Dekmar is the LaGrange (GA) Chief of Public Safety, with responsibilities for both the Fire and Police Departments. He was appointed to that position in November 2005, after having served for ten years as the LaGrange Police Chief. Chief Dekmar’s law enforcement career began when he enlisted in the United States Air Force, serving four years as a Law Enforcement Specialist. He subsequently worked for several agencies in Wyoming and then Georgia, before joining the LaGrange Police Department. He led his agency through its initial CALEA Law Enforcement Accreditation in July 1999, and through its subsequent reaccreditations.  more

Three Commissioners Leave CALEA Board   
The Fall CALEA Conference in Reno, Nevada, marked the end of CALEA Board service for three Commissioners: Sheriff Donald F. Eslinger, Sam I. Sasaki, Jr., and Jack R. Greene. During the Celebration Banquet, Commissioners Sasaki and Greene were presented with a plaque commemorating their service on the Commission. Sheriff Eslinger was unfortunately not able to attend the Reno Conference. more

2006 FALL CONFERENCE REVIEW  

Reno Conference Awards

Cotter Award Presented to Two Chiefs  
Chief R. Gil Kerlikowske of the Seattle (WA) Police Department and Chief Michael Strope of the Bryan (TX) Police Department were honored with the presentation of the James V. Cotter Award at the CALEA Fall Conference in Reno, Nevada. This special award recognizes Chief Executive Officers, who have successfully brought three or more new law enforcement agencies into CALEA Accredited status, for their significant commitment to excellence and contribution to CALEA. more

Certificates of Meritorious Accreditation Announce 
Sixteen agencies were recognized during the CALEA Conference Celebration Banquet in Reno, Nevada, for having been CALEA Accredited for 15 or more continuous years. These agencies receive an enhanced Certificate of Meritorious Accreditation, displaying a blue “Meritorious” ribbon and an inscription proclaiming their 15 or more years of accredited status. more

Welcome to CALEA!
Between September 1, 2006 and December 31, 2006, the following agencies joined the CALEA family by signing initial Agreements: more

The more recent high-profile tragedies — 9/11; Hurricane Katrina; the bombing of the Murrah Building in Oklahoma City; and the shootings at Columbine High School — are proof that no agency is immune from the unimaginable. Consequently, no agency is spared from the allegations, insinuations, and blame that follow catastrophic events. Every event must have a villain, a victim, and a vindicator. This is how citizens try to understand tragedy. It is uniquely American to believe bad things cannot happen here, and because of this myopic view, they seek someone to blame when tragedy strikes. Americans maintain the fundamental right to blame public officials for everything that goes wrong.  more

CALEA Assessors Receive Certificates of Appreciation 

In 2005, the Commission’s Awards Committee approved a new recognition awards program for the Commission’s “eyes and ears” — the CALEA Assessors. It was determined that a Certificate of Appreciation would be awarded in recognition of the many loyal public safety officials who have demonstrated their long-term commitment to CALEA and the Accreditation Process by serving as a CALEA Assessor for 10 or more years. In addition, a special plaque award was designed for active CALEA Assessors who have served 20 or more years. more

Farewell, Ted!  
We said goodbye to a well-known CALEA Staff member at the end of November, after the Reno Conference — Program Manager Harold T. “Ted” LeMay. Ted joined the Avon (CT) Police Department in 1965, after serving in the U.S. Army. He began his involvement with CALEA in 1987 when he attended his first CALEA Conference in Rochester, New York, where he saw the benefits of accreditation. From that point, he wanted to be a part of the accreditation process. He became the Accreditation Manager for Avon, then a CALEA Assessor. He always said that from every on-site he went on as an assessor, he brought back something to his department. more

Changes to Law Enforcement Standards Approved
At the Fall CALEA Conference in Reno, Nevada, the Standards Review and Interpretations Committee (SRIC) approved the following changes to the Standards for Law Enforcement Agencies, 5^th Edition and to the Recognition Standards for Law Enforcement Standards, 2^nd Edition, which are in effect immediately: more

Four Commissioners Named to the CALEA Board
Effective January 1, 2007, four new Commissioners began serving on the CALEA Board: Professor Gary W. Cordner, Ph.D., Eastern Kentucky University; Sheriff Donald C. Hunter, Collier County (FL) Sheriff’s Office; Chief Gary J. Margolis, Ph.D., University of Vermont Police Services; and Chief Daniel C. Parkinson, Cornwall (ON) Community Police Service. The appointments are for three years. more

Six Receive Bittner Award
At the Fall CALEA Conference in Reno, Nevada, five Chief Executive Officers were honored with the presentation of the Egon Bittner Award during the Saturday evening Celebration Banquet. This award is presented to Chief Executive Officers who have commanded a CALEA Accredited agency (or agencies) for 15 or more continuous years. It was created to recognize these leaders for their significant contributions to the public safety profession and to CALEA. This award was named for Professor Egon Bittner, who greatly contributed to CALEA’s early development, and was a CALEA Commissioner from 1981-1988. Dr. Bittner resides in California. more

presents first-hand testimonies of the positive outcomes of CALEA Accreditation for an agency. These success stories reflect the often unreported benefits experienced by CALEA Agencies and all are encouraged to submit their own examples to CALEA to be shared. more

CALEA Accreditation can annually add or save hundreds of thousands of dollars in revenues for your agency by creating an offensive risk management environment. Offensive risk management can be defined as the practice of identifying and analyzing loss exposures, and taking aggressive steps to minimize the financial and organizational impact of those risks. more

 Communications Open Channel
Wanda McCarley, President, APCO International
The deadline for implementing NCIC 2000 requirements, as they relate to compliance with Criminal Justice Information System (CJIS) guidelines, is approaching. Many agencies find the language of the federal publications difficult to understand. An APCO International workgroup comprised of representatives from communications centers, the CJIS Advisory Policy Board, and the FBI, held a series of discussions to clarify the guidelines. The results of those discussions are presented here in an FAQ format, from the viewpoint of addressing a broad range of concerns. more

CALEA FLAGSHIP AGENCIES - Reno Conference 

Twelve agencies were recognized at the Reno, Nevada, Fall CALEA Conference as a CALEA Flagship Agency. The Flagship Agency Program was introduced two years ago to acknowledge the achievement and expertise of some of the most successful CALEA Accredited Agencies, and also to provide “flagship examples” to assist others. Since December 2005, 71 agencies have been designated Flagship Agencies. more