Higher Standard
Prince George's County Office of the Sheriff Awarded Accreditation
When hard work is acknowledged, it sure feels good, especially when it comes from a credentialing authority.
The Prince George’s County Office of the Sheriff was recently awarded a ‘Certificate of Accreditation’ from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement (CALEA).
CALEA provides its ‘Certificate of Accreditation' to those agencies that permit the commission to conduct an internal review and assessment of the agencies’ policies and procedures, and make adjustments wherever necessary to meet a body of internationally accepted standards.
These standards (as promulgated by CALEA) include:
Sheriff Melvin High speaks to students at Walker Mill Middle School in Capitol Heights, Md. / Credit: pgsheriff.blogspot.com
- a uniform set of written directives
- the development of the necessary reports and analyses a CEO needs to make fact-based, informed management decisions
- a preparedness program be put in place—so an agency is ready to address natural or man-made unusual occurrences
- developing or improving upon an agency’s relationship with the community
- improving the agency’s accountability, both within the agency and the community, through a continuum of standards that clearly define authority, performance, and responsibilities
The goals of these standards are to:
- limit an agency’s liability and risk exposure
- facilitate an agency’s pursuit of professional excellence
Prince George's County Sheriff Melvin High had high praise for his deputies in the Office of the Sheriff, saying of the CALEA award, “This is yet another demonstration of the professionalism that is a great source of pride for us, and for the men and women of the agency."
The announcement of the accreditation was followed by the introduction of the Office of the Sheriff’s Body-Worn Camera Program. Major Sharon Saunders, Deputy Bureau Chief and Commander of the Office of Professional Responsibility said, “We are ready to roll-out body-worn cameras to help us do our work because we took the time we needed so that our training and implementation would be successful.”
These announcements and the initiatives that they represent have been supported fully by County Executive Rushern L. Baker III. Sheriff High clearly made certain to credit the county executive and the support he has demonstrated for public safety in general and his specific support for the Office of the Sheriff.
The future of Prince George's County residents are in good hands with these individuals and they have created a strong foundation for public safety in the years to come.
It's all about setting standards a little higher.
