The Maryland State Police is scheduled for a virtual site-based assessment from Monday, June 14 to Thursday, June 17. The Department will undergo assessment by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA®). This will be our second reaccreditation assessment since first being accredited in 2014 and is for the Advanced Law Enforcement Accreditation.
A team of assessors from CALEA, will examine all aspects of the Maryland State Police policies and procedures, administration, operations, and support services. Verification by the team that the Maryland State Police meets the Commission’s state-of-the-art standards is part of a voluntary process to gain accreditation – a highly esteemed recognition of public safety professional excellence.
As part of this virtual site-based assessment, agency personnel and members of the community are invited to offer comments via Google meet at a public information session on June 15th between 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm. Please RSVP via email to [email protected] if you wish to attend.
If for some reason an individual cannot speak at the public information session but would like to provide comments to the assessment team, he or she may do so by telephone. The public may call 410-653-4305 on June 15th between 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm.
Telephone comments as well as Google meet appearances at the public information session are limited to 10 minutes and must address the agency’s ability to comply with CALEA standards or address your interactions with the Department.
Persons wishing to offer written comments about the Maryland State Police’s ability to meet the standards for accreditation are requested to email the CALEA Team at [email protected].
The Maryland State Police has to comply with 459 standards in order to gain accredited status. Maintaining these standards demonstrates the Department’s commitment to professional excellence in providing law enforcement services to all those who live, visit or work in Maryland. Accreditation is for four years, during which the agency must submit annual reports attesting to continued compliance.
The assessment team is composed of public safety practitioners from similar, but out-of-state agencies. The assessors will review online materials and Department policies, and interview individuals.
The assessors are Team Leader Major Caren M. Sterling of the Virginia State Police, and Team Member Mr. David Dishong who was a member of the Nebraska State Patrol for 33 years. Local contact for accreditation is Sergeant James Pruski at 410-653-4305. Once the CALEA Assessors complete their review of the agency, they report back to the full Commission, which will then decide if the agency is to be granted accredited status.
For more information regarding the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc., please write the Commission at 13575 Heathcote Boulevard, Suite 320, Gainesville, Virginia 20155, or call (703) 352-4225, or send an email to [email protected].
