INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — A team of assessors from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA), Public Safety Communications Accreditation will arrive Nov. 2, to examine all aspects of the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office Communications Center policy and procedures, management and operations, according to Sheriff Deryl Loar.
Verification by the team that the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office meets the Commission’s state-of-the-art standards is part of a voluntary process to obtain accreditation; a highly prized recognition of law enforcement professional excellence, Loar said.
As part of the on-site assessment, agency personnel and members of the community are invited to offer comments about the agency by calling (772)-978-6140 on Monday, Nov. 3, between the hours of 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. Telephone comments are limited to 10 minutes and must address the agency’s ability to comply with CALEA standards. A copy of the standard is available at the Sheriff’s Office. Local contact is Mark Buffington at (772)-978-6239.
“The Indian River County Sheriff’s Office has to comply with 213 communication standards in order to obtain accredited status,” Sheriff Loar said. “The fact that the Sheriff’s Office is seeking accredited status signifies that an outside board, consisting of communication professionals from different regions of the United States, have thoroughly reviewed the policies, procedures, and performance of the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office Communications Center and has found it to be operating in an exemplary manner, successfully addressing the needs and concerns of the community.”
The Communications Accreditation Program Manager for the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office is Lieutenant Mark Buffington. He said the Assessment Team is composed of law enforcement practitioners from similar but out-of-state agencies. The assessors will review written materials, interview individuals and visit the communications center and other places where compliance can be witnessed.
The accreditation assessors consist of Commissioner William Bleyle, Manlius Police Department – Syracuse, N.Y., and Ms. Mary Strickland, Cobb County 911 Emergency Communications – Marietta, Ga.
Once the Commission’s assessors complete their review of the agency, they report to the full Commission, which will then decide if the agency is to be granted accredited status, Mark Buffington stated.
This will be the initial accreditation review for the communications center.
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.
Persons wishing to offer written comments about the Indian River County Sheriff’s Offices ability to comply with the standards for accreditation or for more information, please write to: Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA) at 13575 Heathcote Boulevard, Suite 320, Gainesville, Virginia 20155; or call (703) 352-4225 or www.calea.org.
