CALEA Accreditation
The Simsbury Police Department was awarded with national accreditation on July 30, 2011 through CALEA. After a 3 year self-assessment phase and a meticulous on-site inspection of policy, procedures, equipment and facilities by CALEA assessors, Chief Peter N. Ingvertsen, Lt. Nicholas Boulter and PFC Tracy Dunne attended a hearing before a panel of CALEA Commissioners in Cincinnati, Ohio. The panel of Commissioners made a unanimous vote to recommend accreditation of the Simsbury Police Department. The Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc awarded the Simsbury Police Department with accreditation, signifying excellence in public safety policy and practice.
 
CALEA stands for Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. In 1979, the Commission was created through the combined efforts of four major law enforcement organizations; the International Association of Chiefs of Police, National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives, National Sheriffs’ Association, and the Police Executive Research Forum.
The purpose of the Commission is to develop law enforcement standards and to establish
and administer the accreditation process. The accreditation process is how a law enforcement agency voluntarily demonstrates how they meet professionally recognized criteria for excellence in management and service delivery.
BENEFITS OF ACCREDITATION
CONTROLLED LIABILITY INSURANCE COSTS – Accredited status makes it easier for agencies to purchase police liability insurance; allows agencies to increase the limit of their insurance coverage more easily; and, in many cases, results in lower premiums.
STRONGER DEFENSE AGAINST LAWSUITS AND CITIZEN COMPLAINTS – Accredited agencies are better able to defend themselves against lawsuits and citizen complaints. Many agencies report a decline in legal actions against them once they become accredited.
GREATER ACCOUNTABILITY WITHIN THE AGENCY – Accreditation standards give the Chief Executive Officer a proven management system of written directives, sound training, clearly defined lines of authority, and routine reports that support decision making and resource allocation.
STAUNCH SUPPORT FROM GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS – Accreditation provides objective evidence of an agency’s commitment to excellence in leadership, resource management, and service-delivery. Thus, government officials are more confident in the agency’s ability to operate efficiently and meet community needs.
INCREASED COMMUNITY ADVOCACY – Accreditation embodies the precepts of community oriented policing. It creates a forum in which police and citizens work together to prevent and control crime. This partnership helps citizens understand the challenges confronting law enforcement and gives law enforcement clear direction about community expectations.
IMPROVED EMPLOYEE MORALE – Accreditation is a coveted award that symbolizes professionalism, excellence, and competence. It requires written directives and training to inform employees about policies and practices; facilities and equipment to ensure employees’ safety; and processes to safeguard employees’ rights. Employees take pride in their department, knowing it represents the very best in law enforcement.
State of Connecticut Tier III Accreditation
On November 1, 2007 the Simsbury Police Department was awarded Tier III of State Accreditation. The Simsbury Police Department is one of only a few departments within the State to be accredited in all three tiers of the State Accreditation.
A team of assessors from the State of Connecticut Police Officer Standards and Training Council (POSTC) Office of Accreditation visited the Simsbury Police Department on September 18, 19, and 20, 2007 to examine all aspects of the department’s policy and procedures, management, operations and support services.
Verification by the team that the Simsbury Police Department meets the Commission’s most recently revised and updated standards is part of the voluntary process to gain accreditation, a highly-valued recognition of law enforcement professional excellence.
The Simsbury Police Department is extremely proud of this accomplishment as we strive to provide the finest professional police service to the Town of Simsbury.
What is State Accreditation
The State Certification/Accreditation Program is administered by the Connecticut Police Chief's Association (CPCA) and is the cornerstone of a liability certification program for Connecticut law enforcement agencies. ~This program is designed to assist police agencies better protect themselves, their employees, and their governing entities from liability exposure.
State accreditation is a three tier system. Tier I, “Liability Certification”, is a cooperative process designed to assist Connecticut law enforcement agencies reduce exposure to civil liability. ~The framework established for this process is a manual of standards which identifies potential liability issues and actions a participating agency should take to address them. ~An agency pursuing certified status reviews the standards, takes the action required by the standard (such as developing a written policy), ~assembles documentation of its compliance with a standard, and then invites a group of police professionals trained as assessor to review that documentation. ~If, in the opinion of the assessors the agency has satisfied the standard, they designate the agency as “in
compliance” with that standard.
An agency choosing to participate in the liability certification program decides to use the responsibility to assemble documentation on an ongoing basis as a kind of automatic inspection of the agency’s operations--a “cross-check” which will prevent mistakes or omissions which might expose the agency to liability from going unnoticed. ~The process of “documentation” encouraged by the liability certification program is best understood not as an addition to an agency’s activities but rather as a means of directing and organizing those activities to provide maximum control in the simplest and most efficient manner.
Tier II is referred to as “Professional Certification” and consists of mandatory standards as those addressed in Tier I. The remaining tier, Tier III is referred to as “General Management/State Accreditation” and addresses some optional standards for agencies.
Successful completion of the accreditation program requires commitment from all levels of the organization, starting with the chief executive officer. To foster commitment, a decision to participate is voluntary.
Besides the recognition of obtaining excellence, the primary benefits of accreditation include controlled liability insurance costs, administrative improvements, greater accountability from supervisors, increased governmental and community support.
The Simsbury Police Department is currently accredited for Tiers One, Two, and Three of the State accreditation.
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