Joliet Police Invite Residents To 'Assess the Cops'

The Joliet Police Department invites residents to “rate the cops” at an upcoming public information session on March 30, as part of a voluntary accreditation process that rates all aspects of the police department, including community relations and interactions.

A team of assessors from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. will arrive the day before to examine all aspects of the department’s policies, procedures, management, operations and support services.

The commission’s state-of-the-art standards -- 484 in total -- are part of the voluntary process to gain accreditation, said to be a highly prized recognition of law enforcement professional excellence. Police departments must be re-accredited every three years. The Joliet Police Department first became accredited in 2003, and re-accredited in 2006, 2009 and 2012.

During the three-year period between accreditations, the police department must submit annual reports attesting continued compliance with those standards under which it was initially accredited.

As part of the on-site assessment, agency employees and members of the community are invited to offer comments at a public information session at 6 p.m. Monday, March 30 The session will be held in the Council Chambers in Joliet City Hall, 150 West Jefferson Street, Joliet, Illinois.

Public comments at the session are limited to ten minutes and must address the police department’s ability to comply with CALEA standards. Copies of the standares are available at the Joliet Police Department, 150 W. Washington St., Joliet. The local contact is Officer Franklin Coleman, the department’s accreditation manager, at 815/724-3221.

Residents who can’t make the session or don’t want to comment publicly but would like to provide comments to the assessment, may do so by telephone, by calling 815-724-3215 on Monday, March 30, between the hours of 1 and 3 p.m.

Anyone wishing to submit written comments about the Joliet Police Department’s ability to comply with the standards for accreditation may send them directly to the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement, Inc., 13575 Heathcote Boulevard, Suite 320, Gainesville, VA 20155.

The assessment team is composed of law enforcement practitioners from similar, out-of-state agencies. The assessors will review written materials, interview individuals, and visit offices and other places where compliance can be witnessed.

For more information about the assessment and accreditation process, visit the CALEA website.

How do you think the Joliet Police Department is doing? Tell us in the comments.