The department has earned reaccreditation through the Commission on Accreditation of Law Enforcement Agencies.
Officials with the Evesham Township Police Department say the department has once again placed among the top 1 percent of all U.S. law enforcement agencies for professionalism and organization excellence by earning its second reaccreditation through the Commission on Accreditation of Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA).
Evesham Police Chief Christopher Chew has announced that the department has earned reaccreditation through CALEA, which police officials say is considered to be the gold standard in public safety among law enforcement agencies.
According to officials, the department was awarded their second reaccreditation after a formal hearing on Nov. 18 in Jacksonville, Fla.
“This is a tremendous accomplishment by our entire police department,” Chew said. “Being reaccredited by CALEA reaffirms the professionalism and standard of excellence throughout our entire organization.”
According to the department, CALEA accreditation is a voluntary process that requires accredited agencies to submit annual reports showing compliance with the program’s standards. Agencies are required to a mandatory review every three years, a process which includes an in-depth on-site assessment, community input and a formal hearing before a panel of commissioners.
Officials say an assessment team from CALEA spent multiple days at ETPD and in the Evesham community in August conducting interviews with department staff, elected officials and community members.
According to the department, the CALEA assessment team leader gave the following statement.
“All of the comments made by the persons in contact with the assessment team concerning the agency were positive, stressing cooperation, professionalism and caring. Citizens expressed their sense of safety and of the commitment agency personnel have for them. These sentiments express the spirit of CALEA- providing and promoting positive interactions between the agency and the citizens they are sworn to serve”, said Bradley Biller, the CALEA assessment team leader. “Chief Christopher Chew and members of the agency remain strongly committed to the CALEA accreditation process.”
Department officials say the reaccreditation process required compliance with nearly 500 standards measured in exacting detail by a commission of independent assessors. According to the department, only 1 percent of all agencies in the United States achieve CALEA accreditation, and the ETPD is only one of nine municipal police departments to receive the award in the state of New Jersey.
CALEA was created in 1979 as a credentialing authority through the joint efforts of law enforcement’s major executive associations:
- International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP)
- National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE)
- National Sheriffs Association (NSA); and the
- Police Executive Research Forum (PERF).
The purpose of CALEA’s Accreditation Program is to improve the delivery of public safety services, primarily by maintaining a body of standards, developed by public safety practitioners, covering a wide range of up-to-date public safety initiatives, establishing an accreditation process and recognizing professional excellence.
