(GREENVILLE)- For the eighth consecutive time since 1995, the Greenville Police Department (GPD) has been awarded CALEA® Law Enforcement Accreditation, which serves as the international Gold Standard for Public Safety Agencies. This year, GPD was recognized with the prestigious Accreditation with Excellence Award, which is awarded to an agency that “sets the benchmark for public safety professionalism”. The agency’s accreditation status and Excellence Award were officially conferred at the CALEA® Conference in March.
“As a professional law enforcement agency, we are determined to reflect on, and when necessary, improve our efforts in how we police our communities as well as how we police ourselves,” Chief Ken Miller said. “Although I am thrilled our agency has achieved these designations and recognitions, my greatest satisfaction comes from the fact our dedicated sworn and non-sworn men and women are becoming better in their roles due to the continual, rigorous process required for achieving accreditation and our shared commitment to it.”
Accredited by CALEA® since 1995, this year for the first time, the department elected to undergo the Gold Standard Assessment (GSA), which focuses primarily on processes and outcomes associated with standards specific to agency policies. GSA requires a more in-depth examination of the department, as well as interviews with community stakeholders, citizens and businesses from across the Upstate about the department’s performance over the last three years and its community involvement.
At Chief Miller’s request, the department had the assessment team review its strategic plan, community policing program, body-worn camera project, recruitment and selection processes, disciplinary and mediation processes and community surveying process and results. This was in addition to the 484 required compliance standards.
In announcing GPD’s selection to receive the Accreditation with Excellence Award, Commissioners of CALEA® stated in its letter to Chief Miller, “Your agency has clearly demonstrated a commitment to professionalism and CALEA® Accreditation has undoubtedly become an institutionalized management model for the organization. As the Gold Standard for Public Safety, CALEA® is proud of your agency's accomplishment and commends you for your leadership.”