Woodstock Police Seek National Accreditation

WOODSTOCK, GA -- The city of Woodstock's long-running dream to have its police department obtain national accreditation appears to be on its way of becoming a reality.

The city is gearing up to host a team of assessors from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc., which will arrive on Monday, June 5 to examine all aspects of the Woodstock Police Department's policy and procedures, management, operations and support services.

Verification by the team that the Woodstock Police Department meets the Commission’s state-of-the-art standards is part of a voluntary process to gain accreditation — a highly prized recognition of public safety professional excellence. As part of the assessment, agency personnel and members of the community are invited to offer comments at a public information session scheduled for 7 p.m. Tuesday, June 6 at the Chambers at City Center.

If you can't attend Tuesday's input session, but would like to provide your feedback, you can do so by telephone. Residents can call 770-592-6000 ext. 1166 between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. Tuesday, June 6 to provide feedback.

Telephone comments as well as appearances at the public information session are limited to 10 minutes and must address the agency’s ability to comply with CALEA standards. A copy of the standards is available at the Woodstock Police Department at 12453 Highway 92 or by calling Jim Free at 770-592-6000 extension 1144. An electronic copy can be made available upon request.

Anyone who wishes to offer written comments about the Woodstock Police Department’s ability to meet the standards for accreditation are requested to write:

Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement, Inc. (CALEA®)
13575 Heathcote Boulevard, Suite 320
Gainesville, Virginia 20155

The Woodstock Police Department must comply with 189 applicable standards in order to gain accredited status.

“We are pleased to be able to meet or exceed these stringent national standards and to strive for the prestigious CALEA accreditation,” said Police Chief Calvin Moss. “We look forward to valuable feedback from the public and the assessors in order to continually improve and provide best in class service to our citizens."

Accreditation is for four years, during which the agency must submit annual reports, and participate in annual remote web-based assessments attesting continued compliance with those standards under which it was initially accredited.

For more information about CALEA, call (703) 352-4225 or e-mail calea@calea.org.

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