Samuel Ceballos, Jr.
A team of assessors from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA), will be in Pinecrest on April 14 to examine all aspects of the Pinecrest Police Department’s policies and procedures, management, operations and support services.
Village Police Chief Samuel Ceballos, Jr. said the assessors will be in Pinecrest as part of a voluntary process by his department to gain accreditation, a prized recognition of law enforcement professional excellence. He said the CALEA team will determine whether the Pinecrest Police Department meets the commission’s state-of-the-art standards.
Chief Ceballos also invited employees and members of the community to offer comments at a public information session on Sunday, April 14, at 5 p.m., as part of the on-site assessment. The session will be conducted at the Pinecrest Municipal Center, 12645 S. Dixie Hwy.
If a person cannot appear to speak at the public information session, but still wants to provide comments to the assessment team, they can do so by calling 305-234-2118 on April 14, from 2:45 p.m. to 5 p.m. Telephone comments and appearances will be limited to 10 minutes and must address the Village police department’s ability to comply with CALEA standards.
A copy of the standards is available at the Pinecrest Police Department and may be obtained by contacting accreditation manager Lt. Jason Cohen at 305-234- 2100. Written comments should mailed to: Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA), 13575 Heathcote Boulevard, Ste. 320, Gainesville, VA. 20155-6693.
“The Pinecrest Police Department must comply with 480 standards to gain accredited status,” said Chief Ceballos. “Our ability to meet a set of nationally recognized law enforcement standards ensures that our citizens are receiving professional, caring police services,”
The assessment team is composed of law enforcement practitioners from similarsized out-of-state agencies. The assessors will review written materials, interview individuals, and visit officers and locations to verify compliance with CALEA standards. The assessors include team leader Michael Bussiere, Lewiston, Maine Chief of Police, and Gregg Jones, police commander for the Lexington, Kentucky Police Division. The full Commission will decide if the Pinecrest Police Department should receive accredited status upon review of the assessors’ findings.
Accreditation is for three years and the agency must submit annual reports about continued compliance with the standards it was initially accredited under.
For information, call 703-352-4225.
