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Cherokee County, Ga. July 10, 2002.
- A team of assessors from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc.(CALEA), will arrive August 17, 2002 to examine all aspects of the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office policy and procedures, management, operations, and support services, Sheriff Garrison announced today.
Verification by the team that the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office meets the Commission's state-of-the-art standards is part of a voluntary process to maintain accreditation - a highly prized recognition of law enforcement professional excellence, he said.
As part of the on-site assessment, agency employees and members of the community are invited to offer comments at a public information session Monday, August 19, 2002 at 7:00 PM. The session will be conducted in the courtroom of the old courthouse in downtown Canton.
If for some reason an individual cannot speak at the public information session but would still like to provide comments to the assessment team, he/she may do so by telephone. The public may call (770) 345-3322 between the hours of 1:30 PM and 5:30 PM.
Telephone comments as well as appearances at the public information session 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 Sheriff's Office Headquarters. Local contact is Sgt. Deborah Harrell at (770) 345-3227.
Persons wishing to offer written comments about the Cherokee County Sheriff's Offices ability to meet the standards for accreditation are requested to write: Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA), 10306 Eaton Place, Suite 320, Fairfax, Virginia, 22030-2201.
The Cherokee County Sheriff's Office has to comply with over 400 standards in order to gain reaccredited status, Sheriff Roger Garrison said.
The Accreditation Program Manager for the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office is Sgt. Deborah Harrell. She said 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 and other places where compliance can be witnessed. The assessors are: Major Scott Cunningham from Tampa, FL, Sgt. Samuel Farina, Jr. from Rochester, NY, and Sgt. Carol Ackerman from Morristown, NJ. Once the Commission's 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, Sgt. Harrell stated.
Accreditation is for three years, during which 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 10306 Eaton Place, Suite 320, Fairfax, Virginia, 22030-2201; or call (800) 368-3757 or (703) 352-4225.
