MADISON, Ala. — The Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, or CALEA, originally accredited the Madison City Police Department in 2019. Four years later, its going to through the process of holding on to the accreditation. And public comment is part of that process.
What is CALEA?
CALEA puts in place best practices and standards that law enforcement agencies must meet to receive and maintain accreditation. According to Madison Police Captain Terrell Cook, "There's about 188 standards or so that we subscribe to. Some of them deal with things like use of force, for instance. They stipulate that a police department has to 'how to use of force' policy. And in that policy, it has to, certain things have to be spelled out to make sure that we're using force appropriately and under the guidelines of the Constitution."
Cook adds, "We have a remote assessment every year and then every four years, which that's coming up here next month, they send an onsite assessor to spend about a week at the agency and kind of go over it with a fine tooth comb.
CALEA is a neutral party and national organization that assesses standards of law enforcement agencies. An on-site assessor will spend time with the Madison Police Department and review public comments to help determine suitability for re-accreditation. Those served by the Madison Police Department or who collaborate with Madison PD are encouraged to submit a comment or concern as it relates to the standards.
And in today's world, where things are constantly changing, so are those best practices. Cook explains, "CALEA changes their standards very often, usually about 2 to 3 times a year, and they keep up to date with the latest trends and latest practices. And so when those change, we have to change as well. It caused us to develop, take a closer look at our policies and procedures, our training, and we're constantly modifying those and changing those to make them better."
How can you make a public comment?
Click here for the CALEA public comment portal. The site states, "CALEA is not an investigatory body and subsequently the public portal should not be used to submit information for such purposes."
Chief Johnny Gandy says, "Agencies must volunteer to become accredited by CALEA, and it's an honor for MPD to hold the accreditation. We have successfully met the standards for four continuous years, and now our agency is eligible for re-accrediation," says Chief Johnny Gandy. "We hope our community recognizes the quality of policing and safety supported by our officers."