Assessors will accept comments on July 31 at 6 p.m. at the Evesham Municipal Complex. Telephone and written comments will also be accepted.
Members of the public have been invited to comment on the work of the Evesham Township Police Department as part of the department’s process to achieve re-accreditation through the national Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc.
Gaining accreditation through CALEA is a voluntary process by which law enforcement agencies must adhere to hundreds of state-of-the-art standards in four basic areas of police operation: policy and procedures, administration, operations and support services.
The Evesham Police Department achieved its first three-year accreditation in 2011 and gained its first re-accreditation in 2014.
At the time of the department’s first reaccreditation, only 1 percent of all law enforcement agencies across the nation had achieved CALEA accreditation, and the department was one of only nine municipal agencies to have achieved the accreditation in the state.
Now as part of the department’s latest re-accreditation process, members of the public can offer comments on the department’s ability to comply with CALEA standards either in person, in writing or over the phone.
According to Lt. Joseph Friel, the CALEA assessment team asks for comments as part of its overall assessment of department operations.
“CALEA is just making sure our agency is following the best police practices across the county,” Friel said.
With past public comment sessions, Friel said a majority of the community members who made comments simply wanted to note positive programs run by the department and mention positive interactions they may have had with members of the department during their time in town.
However, Friel said it’s just as acceptable for members of the community to make comments on any concerns or negative interactions they may have had with the department.
“Really, what the accreditors are doing is getting comments as part of their larger report,” Friel said.
In a release issued by the department, Chief of Police Christopher Chew described CALEA accreditation as a “highly prized recognition of law enforcement professional excellence” and said he looked forward to a detailed examination of departmental operations.
“The accreditation process has been immensely valuable in identifying the best practices in law enforcement and providing the guidance necessary to allow us to refine police operations,” Chew said. “Without question, we are better positioned to provide efficient and effective law enforcement service, with greater accountability and less risk as a result of the process.”
Members of the community who wish to offer comments to the CALEA assessment team may do so on Monday, July 31, at 6 p.m. during a public information session in the second floor conference room of the Evesham Municipal Complex, 984 Tuckerton Road.
Those who wish to offer comments to the assessment team by phone can call (856) 985–6022 between the hours of 1 to 3 p.m. on Monday, July 31.
Telephone comments, as well as appearances at the public information session, are limited to 10 minutes.
Members of the community looking to submit their comments through writing may send them to the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement, Inc., 1375 Heathcote Blvd., Suite 320, Gainesville, Va, 20155 or submit them online at www.calea.org.
A copy of CALEA standards is available at the Evesham Township Police Department. Members of the public looking to review the standards before July 31 can contact Katherine Corbett at (856) 985–6022.
