July 15, 2003

FREDERICK POLICE DEPARTMENT EARNS NATIONAL ACCREDITATION

On July 12, 2003, Kim C. Dine, Chief of the Frederick Police Department, accepted full accreditation for the Frederick Police Department from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA), a commission of the International Association of Chiefs of Police. The accomplishment represented the successful culmination of the stringent CALEA process which had been initiated four years earlier.

The accreditation process requires law enforcement agencies to undergo self-evaluation, adhere to or adopt industry best practices, amass detailed proofs of adherence to these practices, and undergo extensive evaluation. According to James M. O'Dell, CALEA Chairman, the accreditation of the Frederick Police Department "represents the satisfactory completion of a process of thorough, agency wide self-evaluation, concluded by an exacting outside review by a team of independent assessors."

According to CALEA, less than 600 law enforcement agencies have successfully completed the accreditation process, with approximately another 400 engaged in the process of application and self-assessment. These numbers show that less than 6 percent of the approximate 17,000 law enforcement agencies in the United States of America are undertaking or have achieved CALEA accreditation .

Accepting the award for the department in Detroit, MI was Chief Dine, former accreditation manager retired Lieutenant Barbara Domer, and current accreditation manager Officer First Class John Fry.

The CALEA accreditation lasts three years, after which the department is required to reapply and undergo further assessment.

For further information, please contact Bill Douwes at 301 631-2797