Comments sought for Marietta Police Department’s re-accreditation

Beginning Aug. 10, community comments on the Marietta Police Department are requested for the MPD to receive re-accreditation. As a new MPD initiative - a Spanish language outreach, Marietta Police Department's Public Safety Ambassador (PSA) Reina Vaquero will assist with bilingual communication. (Courtesy of Marietta Police)

Beginning Aug. 10, community comments on the Marietta Police Department are requested for the MPD to receive re-accreditation. As a new MPD initiative - a Spanish language outreach, Marietta Police Department's Public Safety Ambassador (PSA) Reina Vaquero will assist with bilingual communication. (Courtesy of Marietta Police)

The Marietta Police Department is seeking re-accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA) known as “the gold standard for law enforcement professionalism.”

Part of the evaluation by a CALEA assessment team includes a public information session from 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Aug. 10 via the WebEx video communication platform.

For those who would like to attend and make comments, register in advance at: https://mariettaga.webex.com/mariettaga/onstage/g.php?MTID=e2e6b0688752198351b4ec6f465396c15 and use webinar access code 132 781 5267.

Members of the community and MPD employees, who are unable to attend the online session on Aug. 10, are invited to offer comments by calling 408-418-9388 and entering access code 132 622 3250 between 2:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. on Aug. 11.

Comments are limited to 10 minutes and must address the MPD’s ability to comply with CALEA’s standards that are available at the Marietta Police Department, 240 Lemon St.

Information: MPD Officer Gwen Lewis at 770-794-5431

Written comments about the MPD’s ability to meet the standards for Advanced Accreditation should be sent to: Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement, Inc. (CALEA), 13575 Heathcote Blvd., Suite 320, Gainesville, VA 20155 or emailed to calea@calea.org.

First accredited by CALEA in 1998, the MPD was the first agency to be accredited in Cobb County.

The MPD is undergoing Advanced Accreditation under the 5th Edition Standards Manual.

This year's assessors are Superintendent Susan Maycock of the Peel Regional Police (Ontario) and Lieutenant Andrew Spiess of the Virginia Beach Police Department.

CALEA's accreditation program requires law enforcement agencies to comply with more than 484 applicable state-of-the art standards in four basic areas: policy and procedures, administration, operations and support services.

Established in 1979 by the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives, the National Sheriffs' Association and the Police Executive Research Forum, CALEA is recognized internationally as the key credentialing authority for law enforcement agencies.

For CALEA information, write to CALEA at 13575 Heathcote Blvd., Suite 320, Gainesville, VA 20155; call 703-352-4225 or email calea@calea.org.