MUSCATINE, Iowa – The Commission of Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) will host a public information meeting as part of their on-site assessment of the Muscatine Police Department (MPD) at 5 p.m., Tuesday, July 16, 2019, in the City Council Chambers at Muscatine City Hall.
Members of the public are encouraged to attending this public information session and provide comments concerning the MPD adherence to CALEA Standards. Those standards are available for public inspection at the Public Safety Building.
The on-site assessment is part of the process to achieving reaccreditation by verifying that the MPD meets professional standards.
“This endeavor is to ensure that CALEA standards are being implemented and complied with on a daily basis by all personnel,” Sergeant Vincent Motto, MPD Accreditation Manager, said. “In addition, it gives CALEA the opportunity to observe the department’s standing and interaction with the community.”
MPD staff and the public who cannot attend the meeting are invited to offer comments by calling (563) 263-9070 from 1-3 p.m. on Tuesday, July 16, 2019, to speak with a member of the Assessment Team. Telephone comments as well as appearances at the public information session Tuesday night are limited to 10 minutes and must address the agency’s ability to comply with CALEA’s standards.
A copy of the standards is available at the Muscatine Police Department. Contact Sgt. Vincent Motto at (563) 263-9922 (extension 629) to view the standards.
Anyone wishing to submit written comments about MPD’s ability to comply with the standards for accreditation may send them to: Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement, Inc. (CALEA), 13575 Heathcote Blvd., Suite 320, Gainesville, VA, 20155, or email at calea@calea.org.
The assessment process is completed on a four-year cycle and includes public involvement and input. Each year of the cycle includes an agency submitting status reports, updating agency information and statistical tables, and participating in a web-based assessment. Year four also includes a site-based assessment and a commission review.
The accreditation program requires agencies to comply with state of the art standards in four basic areas including policy and procedures, administration, operations, and support services. MPD has to comply with 177 standards in order to retain accredited status.
“The ultimate goal of this assessment is to determine that the department will remain accredited for another four-year cycle,” Sgt. Motto said.
The accredited status is a highly prized recognition of law enforcement professional excellence. MPD was initially accredited in 2000 and has been reaccredited in each of the last five four-year cycles.
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 as well as other places were compliance can be witnessed.
The team of assessors include Chief Scott Cunningham (ret.), a CALEA assessor from Leander, Tex., and Lieutenant Aimee Haley, a member of the Columbus Division of Police in Columbus, Ohio. The team will arrive on July 15, 2019, to begin the assessment process.
Once the Commission’s assessors have completed their review, the assessor’s report back to the full Commission who will decide if the agency will be granted accredited status.
For more information regarding the Commission for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA), please write the Commission at 10302 Eaton Place, Suite 100, Fairfax, Va., 22030-2215, or call (800) 386-3757 or (703) 352-4225.
For more information about the Muscatine Police Department’s efforts towards accreditation, please contact Sgt. Vincent Motto at (563) 262-9922, extension 629.
THE GOLD STANDARD IN PUBLIC SAFETY – The Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc., (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.
ABOUT MUSCATINE POLICE DEPARTMENT - The Muscatine Police Department serves a community of about 25,000 people. The department is committed to providing professional law enforcement services to all of the citizens of Muscatine. The Muscatine Police Department was founded on May 10, 1839, with the appointment of John Marble as the first Marshal. In the earliest days of Muscatine there was little need for an extensive police force and it was not until 1851 that the City created a more formalized law enforcement agency to help protect its citizens. This came in conjunction with the City changing its name from Bloomington to Muscatine and at that time records indicate there were as few as five (5) officers within the department. It was not until the beginning of the 20th century that Muscatine could claim more than 10 members in its police force. The department presently has 42 sworn and five (5) civilian personnel who are divided between three divisions (administrative, investigations, patrol).