PR02-010

Date:

November 19, 2002

 
Accreditation Assessment Team Invites Public Comment
 

Atlanta/Fulton County, Georgia, December 16, 2002 – A team of Assessors from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA), will arrive Saturday, December 14, 2002, to examine all aspects of the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office policy and procedures, management, operations, and support services, Sheriff Jacquelyn H. Barrett announced today.

“Verification by the team that Fulton County Sheriff’s Office meets the Commission’s state-of-the-art standards is part of a voluntary process to gain re-accreditation – a highly prized recognition of law enforcement professional excellence,” she said.

As part of the on-site assessment, agency employees and members of the community are invited to offer comments at a public information session Monday, December 16, 2002 at 7:00 p.m. The session will be conducted in the Fulton County Government Center, Commissioner’s Assembly Hall, located at 141 Pryor Street, Atlanta, Georgia.

If for some reason an individual cannot speak at the public information session but would still like to provide comments to the assessment team, he/she may do so by telephone. The public may call (404) 730-6671 on Monday, December 16, 2002 between the hours of 1:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m.

Telephone comments as well as appearance 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 Fulton County Sheriff’s Office (Justice Center Tower, 9th floor). Local contact is Captain Benita Wallace at (404) 730-8142.

Persons wishing to offer written comments about the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office’s ability to meet the standards for reaccreditation are requested to write:

Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA), 10306 Eaton Place, Suite 320, Fairfax, Virginia 22030-2201.

The Fulton County Sheriff’s Office has to comply with 443 standards in order to gain reaccredited status, Sheriff Jacquelyn Barrett said.

The Accreditation Program Manager for Fulton County Sheriff’s Office is Captain Benita Wallace. She said the assessment team is composed of law enforcement practitioners from similar but out-of-state agencies. The assessors will review written materials, interview individuals, and visit offices and other places where compliance can be witnessed. The assessors are: Lieutenant Louis Cavallo (Team Leader) from North Lauderdale, FL, Captain John Brockman from Plano, TX, and Major Michael J. Patin from St. Martinville, LA. Once the Commission’s assessors complete their review of the agency, they will report back to the full Commission, which will then decide if the agency is to be granted reaccredited status, Captain Wallace stated.

Accreditation is for three years, during which the agency must submit annual reports attesting continued compliance with those standards under which it was initially accredited.

For more information regarding the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. please write the Commission at 10306 Eaton Place, Suite 320, Fairfax, Virginia 22030-2201; or call (800) 368-3757 or (703) 352-4225.

For further information, please contact Sergeant Clarence Huber at (404) 730-4148.  Sergeant Huber can also be reached on his digital pager at (404) 742-6798.