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Case Number 63
Vehicle occupant barriers were added to all of the cruisers. Long a fixture in cruisers operated by some of the larger departments, the barriers were generally thought of as something that seemed like a good idea, but the city had historically viewed them as an unnecessary expense — until accreditation came along.
The department’s holding cells, originally constructed in 1934, using steel jail doors taken from the 1920’s era facility it replaced, were gutted completely. Gone were the days of having just a single door separate the prisoners from the possibility of escaping. With the new facility came modern advances, including ventilation, fire suppression, emergency call buttons, and video and audio monitoring. Provisions were made for water and toilets in each cell. Access doors would be controlled remotely from the communications center, ensuring that in addition to the cell doors, there were at least two other locked doors between the detainees and the blue sky.
Department evidence and property functions were also re-worked. Access to the property and evidence areas was restricted. Evidence submission was standardized. Accountability was emphasized. Procedures were put in place for auditing the evidence and property functions, to return found items to citizens, and to destroy evidence in accordance with court orders.
Training in high liability areas increased. Where the officers had always been given the training necessary to comply with state law, additional qualifications in low light situations, with moving targets, and under exertion were added. Proficiency in the use of all of “the tools of the trade” was tested on a regular basis; and weekly lessons and exams to test the officers “book” skills was also incorporated using a computer system that was developed in-house.
As a matter of course, the Dover Police Department Policy Manual was also overhauled. The contents were broken into topical areas, codified, and distributed to all personnel.
In March 1988, the Dover Police Department was awarded accredited status. Current personnel, with only a few notable exceptions, would not recognize the pre-CALEA department described. Today’s force works in an organization that has embraced the CALEA model, and internalized the process. Change is expected, welcomed, and planned. Department personnel are encouraged to provide suggestions on policy, training, and the day-to-day operation of the department. The mandate from the Command Staff is to efficiently use the city’s resources to provide the best quality of service to the community.
Strategic planning has been a hallmark of this mandate. Through survey instruments and the formation of a citizen strategic planning committee, the department has sought to reconcile the self-identified needs of the community with the fiscal needs of the city.
Since 1988, four separate iterations of the Citizens Strategic Planning Committee have been convened. Yearly meetings to assess progress toward the goals established by the Committee have also been held. Feedback is received, analyzed, and acted upon. Some strategies are adjusted, others abandoned, and new ones are put into place to keep the department on track.
Maintaining CALEA compliance serves the department in the same fashion. It requires that we constantly assess all aspects of the department, and ensures that current needs never overshadow the future needs of the department.
Accreditation compliance isn’t easy. Internalizing the process; creating an environment that embraces the CALEA model as a means of making a department a strong community partner now and in the future, isn’t easy either — but it is worth the effort. A leader with vision will see CALEA Accreditation as a means to ensure that they are providing the building blocks now for the future of their department.
Chief Reynolds retired from the Dover Police Department in 1990 after eighteen years of service to the city. He is currently a law enforcement consultant. That rookie patrolman has now been with the department for nearly 22 years, and has risen through the ranks. Chief Anthony F. Colarusso, Jr. was sworn in as the 24th Chief of Police in the history of the Dover Police Department in March 2007. At his swearing in, Chief Colarusso pledged to pursue the example of Law Enforcement Excellence his predecessors had embarked on — for the benefit of the department and the community it serves.
The Dover Police Department has been continually accredited since 1988. It was the first agency in New Hampshire and the 61st agency in the nation to achieve CALEA Law Enforcement Accredited status. The Dover Police Department was selected as a Flagship Agency for the March 2007 CALEA Conference in Greensboro, North Carolina, where it also was recognized with a Certificate of Meritorious Accreditation.
Sergeant Eric Borrin, Accreditation Manager Dover (NH) Police Department
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