For The 4th Year In A Row, East Haven PD Wins National Accreditation

EAST HAVEN, CT — This is a very big deal.

Late last month, East Haven Police Department Chief Edward Lennon, police Lt. Kershen Bissette and Sgt. Gregory Borer attended the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies in Oklahoma City.

But they did not just attend, they were interviewed by the CALEA commission about the police department's "compliance and dedication" to the voluntary accreditation process.

On July 28, the CALEA Commission voted in favor of awarding the East Haven Police Department official accreditation. It's not the first time. Nor the second. Not even the third, but the fourth time that the commission has bestowed the hard-won honor.

In 2019, the East Haven Police Department achieved national CALEA accreditation for the first time in its near 100-year history.

"This was a major milestone for the department," Lennon said. "Achieving reaccreditation again last month shows that the Department has been continuously reassessing and updating our policies and our practices to ensure we are continuing to provide the very best services to our community. Being evaluated by an external body on an ongoing basis assures the public we are holding ourselves accountable to a national standard of the best policing practices."

Lennon noted that East Haven Mayor Joseph A. Carfora and his administration's support in the process was invaluable.

"Mayor Carfora has provided us with the resources needed to be successful in this process." Lennon said. "The support from the administration and the community have made reaccreditation all the more rewarding."

The purpose of CALEA is to improve the delivery of public safety services by maintaining a body of professional standards that support the administration of accreditation programs. Read more about CALEA and the process here.

Currently, only 31 police departments in the state are CALEA-accredited, which is another reason, Lennon said, "Why we are so proud of this accomplishment."

The East Haven Police Department was formed in 1925 during the tenure of then-First Selectman Robert H. Gerrish. The first Chief of Police was Hugh Farrell. The department currently has nearly 60 sworn officers.

"Maintaining accreditation is only made possible through the hard work put in each and every day by the sworn and non-sworn members of the Department," Lennon said. "I really appreciate the hard work and dedication demonstrated by the men and women of this department."

But Lennon also praised the community, as its feedback is an important part of the accreditation process.

"We couldn’t have done it without the support of our community, so we also want to take this time to thank you," Lennon said.

Neighboring Branford Police Department also received CALEA official accreditation last month. Read that story here.

Dubbed the "gold standard in public safety," CALEA was created in 1979 as a credentialing authority through the joint efforts of law enforcement’s major executive associations. The CALEA Accreditation program seals are reserved for use by those public safety agencies that have demonstrated compliance with CALEA Standards and have been awarded CALEA Accreditation by the Commission.

CALEA Accreditation succeeds through:

• Agency Leadership
  • Serves as a resource management tool
  • Establishes trusted processes and best practices
  • Provides a planning framework
  • Encourages organizational growth and improvement
• Agency Personnel
  • Ensures contemporary equipment and training
  • Promotes sound operational decisions
  • Establishes supportive personnel practices
• The Community
  • Fosters community awareness
  • Creates organizational transparency
  • Promotes open dialogue and information-sharing