Department of Safety & Homeland Security Seeks Reaccreditation

NASHVILLE –- Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security Commissioner Bill Gibbons announced Monday that the department is seeking reaccreditation from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA).  A team of assessors will arrive next month to examine all aspects of the department and the Tennessee Highway Patrol including the department’s policies and procedures, management, operations, and support services.

The assessors will determine if the department and the patrol meet CALEA’s high standards for law enforcement agencies.  The assessment is part of a voluntary process to gain accreditation and is a highly regarded recognition of public safety professional excellence.

As part of the on-site assessment, department personnel and members of the community may offer comments by phone to the assessors. Those wishing to comment may do so from 3:00 – 5:00 p.m. CDT on August 11 by calling 615-251-6321.

Phone comments are limited to 10 minutes and must address the department’s ability to comply with CALEA standards. A copy of the standards is available upon request at each of the eight THP district headquarters.  The locations and phone numbers for each district office are available on the department’s web site at www.tn.gov/safety/thp.shtml.

Persons wishing to offer written comments about the ability of the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security and the Tennessee Highway Patrol to meet the standards for accreditation are requested to send those to the following address: Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement, Inc. (CALEA), 13575 Heathcote Blvd., Suite 320, Gainesville, VA 20155–6660. Comments may also be submitted by email to calea@calea.org.

The Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security and the Tennessee Highway Patrol must comply with the applicable 475 CALEA standards to gain accredited status.

Major Betty Blair serves as the CALEA program manager for the department and the patrol. Blair says the assessment team is composed of public safety practitioners from similar but out-of-state agencies.  The assessors will review written materials, interview individuals, and visit offices and other locations where compliance can be witnessed. The assessors include Colonel (Retired) Tim Hazlette of the Kentucky State Police and Lieutenant Marianne Daly of the Connecticut State Police.

After 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, Blair stated.

Accreditation is for three years, during which time 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 13575 Heathcote Blvd. Suite 320, Gainesville, Virginia 20155 – 6660 or by email calea@calea.org.

The Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security’s (TN.Gov/safety) mission is to serve, secure, and protect the people of Tennessee.

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