Athens-Clarke County Communications Division to Undergo Accreditation Assessment

A team of assessors from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc., (CALEA), will arrive April 8, 2013, to examine all aspects of the Athens-Clarke County Communications Division’s policies, procedures, management and operations, Chief Joseph H. Lumpkin, Sr., announced Tuesday.

Verification by the team that the Athens-Clarke County Communications Division meets the Commission’s state-of-the-art standards is part of a voluntary process to gain accreditation and demonstrate our commitment to professional excellence, he said.

As part of the on-site assessment, agency employees and members of the community are invited to offer comments during a call-in session. The public may call 706-613-3888 Extension 400 between the hours of 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday, April 10, 2013.

Telephone comments are limited to ten (10) minutes and must address the Department’s ability to comply with CALEA’s standards. A copy of the standards is available at the Police Department headquarters, 3035 Lexington Rd. The local contacts are 911 Communications Administrator Keith Kelley at 706-613-3888 Extension 325 and Communications Supervisor Sara Ivy at 706-613-3888 Extension 544.

Persons wishing to offer written comments about the Athens-Clarke County Communications Division’s ability to meet the standards for accreditation are requested to write to the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA), 13575 Heathcote Boulevard, Suite 320, Gainesville, Virginia 20155.

The Athens-Clarke County Communications Division has to comply with 218 standards in order to gain accredited status.

“We in the Athens-Clarke County Communications Division are committed to continuously improving services to our citizenry and visitors. The Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement’s Public Safety Communications Accreditation Program, standards, systems and processes offer a unique opportunity to obtain the perspective of external assessors with proven management experience and track records in public safety communications. The Commission’s perspective is certainly important to our continuous improvement process,” Chief Lumpkin said.

The Accreditation Program Manager for the Athens-Clarke County Communications Division is 911 Communications Administrator Keith Kelley. He said the assessment team is composed of law enforcement and public safety communications practitioners from similar but out-of-state agencies. The assessors will review written materials, interview individuals, and visit offices and other places where compliance can be witnessed. The assessors are John Rankin of Longwood, FL, and Paula Fox of Newport News, VA. “Once the Commission’s assessors complete their review of the Communications Division, they report back to the full Commission, which will then decide if the Communications Division is to be granted accredited status,” 911 Communications Administrator Keith Kelley stated.

Accreditation is for three years, during which the agency must submit annual reports attesting continued compliance with those standards under which it was initially accredited.
For information regarding the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc., please write the Commission at 13575 Heathcote Boulevard, Suite 320, Gainesville, Virginia, 20155; visit them on the Web at www.calea.org; or call 1-703-352-4225.