Newark Police Department Achieves Accreditation For Ninth Time
On April 2, 2022, the Newark Police Department was re-accredited for the ninth time by the Commission on Accreditation For Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA). Once again, the Newark Police Department was given Meritorious designation. CALEA certification demonstrates that the Newark Police Department is in compliance with more than 400 standards for law enforcement agencies.
The re-accreditation process involved a 3-day review of the Newark Police Department’s policies and practices by an assessment team appointed by CALEA. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this assessment was conducted remotely. In addition, the assessors spoke with agency employees and members of the public were offered the opportunity to provide both written and verbal feedback about the agency and its practices.
On April 2, 2022, Deputy Chiefs Mark Farrall and Kevin Feeney, along with Accreditation Manager Cpl. Brandon Walker and PSAP Manager Brian Cannon, traveled to CALEA’s conference in Orlando, FL to answer questions posed by CALEA commissioners about the agency.
For the first time, the Newark Police Department’s Communications Center, which receives 911 calls in the City of Newark, sought and received communications accreditation. The Communications Center was required to meet nearly 200 standards for police communications centers.
About CALEA:
The CALEA Accreditation programs provide public safety agencies with an opportunity to voluntarily meet an established set of professional standards, which require:
- Comprehensive and uniform written directives that clearly define authority, performance, and responsibilities
- Reports and analyses to make fact-based and informed management decisions.
- Preparedness to address natural or man-made critical incidents
- Community relationship-building and maintenance
- Independent review by subject matter experts
- Continuous pursuit of excellence through annual reviews and other assessment measures
