Woodbridge – Woodbridge Police Director Robert Hubner announced that the Woodbridge Police Department (WPD) is undergoing reevaluation for accreditation by the National Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) and that the CALEA team will undertake a full-scale examination of all aspects of the WPD’s policies, procedures, management, operations, and support services beginning Nov. 29, 2016.
As part of CALEA’s on-site assessment, agency officers, employees and members of the community are invited to offer comment at a public information session scheduled for Tues., Nov. 29, 2016 at 7:00 P.M. The Public session will take place in the Municipal Council Meeting Room, First Floor, Woodbridge Township Municipal Building located at 1 Main Street, Woodbridge.
“Verification by the CALEA team that the WPD meets the Commission’s standards is part of a voluntary process to reestablish accreditation - a highly-prized recognition of law enforcement professional excellence,” said Director Hubner. “Accreditation is very important as it represents a way of measuring the WPD against nationally recognized standards, while fitting perfectly with the Township’s commitment to continued professionalism. Once the Commission’s assessors complete their review of the agency, they report back to the full CALEA Commission, which will then decide if the agency has met all of the requirements for re-accreditation.”
The WPD must comply with all applicable CALEA standards in order to achieve re-accreditation status. Accreditation is for three (3) years, during which time the agency must submit annual reports attesting to continued compliance with the standards under which it was initially accredited. The Woodbridge Police Department was initially accredited on March 20, 1999 and re-accredited in 2002, 2005, 2008, 2011 and 2014.
If a member of the public cannot attend the public information session but would like to provide comment(s) to the assessment team, he/she may do so via written comment or by telephone. Persons wishing to offer written comments about the Woodbridge Township Police Department’s ability to meet the standards for accreditation are requested to write: Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA), 13575 Heathcote Boulevard Suite 320 Gainesville, Virginia 20155, or e-mail to pmacmillan@calea.org, subject line “Woodbridge NJ Police Department.”
Telephone comments (as well as appearances at the public information session) are limited to ten minutes and must address the agency’s ability to comply with CALEA’s standards. A copy of the accreditation standards is available to view at the Woodbridge Township Police Headquarters, located at One Main Street, Woodbridge, New Jersey. Local contact is Accreditation Manager Andrew Tuttle (732) 634-7700, extension 2109. The public may call 732-634-7700 x2095 on Wed., Nov. 30, 2016 between the hours of 2:00 - 4:00 PM.
For more information regarding the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc., write the Commission at: 13575 Heathcote Boulevard, Suite 320, Gainesville, Virginia 20155. Call 1-800-368-3757 or (703) 352-4225. E-mail: pmacmillan@calea.org with the subject line “Woodbridge NJ Police Department.”
