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Police Services | Animal Control | Annual Report | Bicycle Safety | Bike Patrol
Citizen Police Academy | D.A.R.E. | Gun Safety | Home Security | Kind Call Neighborhood Watch | Police 80th Anniversary | Police Chief Columns | Police Survey Pumpkin Patrol | Safety Town | Sex Offender Details | Street Sense | Vacation Safety Vehicle Speed Monitoring (Stealth Stat) Police Accreditation Assures Quality ServicePolice Chief ColumnBy Police Chief Brian Quinn As published in the SNP/Arlington News The men and women who make up the Upper Arlington Police Division are proud of the service we provide the community. We are keenly aware of the many hours of training required of us, our commitment to keeping pace with emerging crime trends and the strong sense of teamwork and reliance that we have on each other, oftentimes under stressful situations. We know what it takes to protect a community and we are confident that we more than meet those expectations. But does that knowledge translate out into the community? And how do we compare to other enforcement agencies both locally and nationally? Attaining accreditation from the international organization, the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA), provides us the means to confirm our agency is meeting the highest possible standards in law enforcement. The benefits of being an accredited agency includes greater accountability within the agency, reduced risk and liability exposure, stronger defense against legal lawsuits, staunch support from government officials, and increased community advocacy. Specifically, the accreditation program gives law enforcement agencies the opportunity to prove that their practices meet an established set of professional standards set by CALEA. These standards include developing and maintaining a comprehensive set of written directives, providing the necessary reports and analyses necessary for the Police Chief and other division leaders to make informed decisions, and ensuring that programs are in place for times of natural or man-made critical incidents, just to name a few. In 1993, the division successfully attained its first accreditation, and has been able to re-attain this important standard, which is based around a three-year process, since that time. In fact, when our division was re-accredited in 2005, it was selected as one of eight (out of 100) to be a “Flagship Organization,” and was further selected to serve as the model division for other departments seeking certification. Of the more than 17,800 law enforcement agencies in the United States, only 587 have attained accreditation. Locally, Upper Arlington is one of a handful of Franklin County agencies to be accredited, alongside the ranks of Columbus, Dublin, Grove City, Powell and Whitehall. The re-accreditation process has been ongoing throughout the year, with specific milestone moments built into the program. In August of this year, we were evaluated on-site by several CALEA representatives. These licensed assessors, traveling from different sites from across the nation, visited with us to review paperwork pertinent to approximately 459 different standards to ensure we are following protocol and meeting or exceeding CALEA standards. The on-site process went well and we expect to hear the final decision in November for the 2008-2010 accreditation term. Re-achieving this accreditation will no doubt serve as a source of continued pride for our division, knowing that our efforts are validated by international standards. Police Division City of Upper Arlington 3600 Tremont Road Upper Arlington, OH 43221 Phone: 614-583-5150 www.ua-ohio.net |
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