(Boston, MA) A team of assessors from the Commission on Accreditation
for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA®) will arrive on Monday, August 20, 2012, to examine
all aspects of the MBTA Transit Police Academy’s policy and procedures,
management, operations, and support services. The MBTA Transit Police Academy
is striving to be the first accredited academy in the Commonwealth of
Massachusetts.
“Verification by the team that
the MBTA Transit Police Academy meets the Commission’s state-of-the-art
standards is part of a voluntary process to gain accreditation – a highly
prized recognition of law enforcement professional excellence”, Chief Paul
MacMillan stated.
As part of the on-site
assessment, academy personnel and members of the community are invited to offer
comments to the assessment team by telephone by calling 617 222-1154 on
Tuesday, August 21, 2012, between the hours of 10:00am and 12:00pm. Telephone
comments are limited to 10 minutes and must address the agency’s ability to
comply with CALEA standards. A copy of the standards is available by contacting
Officer Roberta Spinosa at 617-222-1014, at MBTA Transit Police Headquarters at
240 Southampton Street, Boston, MA 02118.
“Compliance with the
Accreditation Standards is an indication that the MBTA Transit Police Academy
meets professionally recognized criteria for excellence in management and service
delivery.” Chief MacMillan added.
The assessment team is composed
of public safety practitioners from out-of-state agencies. The assessors will
review written materials, interview individuals, and visit offices and
locations where compliance can be witnessed.
The
assessors are retired Captain John “Russ” McElwee, who is from
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department, North Carolina and Captain Carl
Schinner from the Greenbelt Police Department, in Greenbelt, Maryland.
Once the CALEA assessors
complete their review of the agency, they report back to the full Commission,
which will then decide if the agency is to be granted accredited status.
For more information regarding the Commission on
Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc., please write the Commission
at 13575 Heathcote Boulevard, Suite 320, Gainsville, Virginia, 20155; or call
(800) 368-3757 or (703) 352-4225 or www.calea.org.
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