Mauldin PD Earn Coveted CALEA Accreditation

From the Mauldin Police Department:

On March 24, 2012 the Mauldin Police Department was awarded Advanced Accreditation status by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA).

The Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA) was created in 1979 through the combined efforts of four major Law Enforcement organizations: the International Association of Chiefs of Police, National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives, National Sheriff’s Association, and the Police Executive Research Forum united to address issues of accountability, integrity, liability, performance, community partnership, and to elevate law enforcement to professional standing and affirm the quality of police services.

In the fall of 2007, the Mauldin Police Department committed itself to seeking accredited status through the Commission. The Chief of Police, M. Bryan Turner, designated Captain Roger Tripp as the Law Enforcement Accreditation Manager for the project. The standards for accreditation impact officer and public safety, address high liability/risk management issues, and generally promote operational efficiency throughout the agency.

In order to accomplish these tasks members of the Department, under the direction of Chief Turner, underwent a three-year process of self-evaluation that included a total revision of all policies and procedures, department restructuring and extensive training to be in compliance with the 479 standards set by the Commission. In October 2011 the policies, procedures, facilities, equipment, personnel and three years of proofs of compliance with these standards were inspected by a team of out-of-state assessors who submitted their recommendation to the Commission for review.

On March 24, 2012 members of the Department appeared before the Commission in a hearing to review the results of the on-site inspection at their International Conference in Mobile, Alabama. Accreditation was granted by the Commission at this hearing and awarded at a banquet the following evening. Upon acceptance the Mauldin Police Department became only the fifteenth Municipality in the state of South Carolina, and the second in Greenville County, to obtain this coveted award. Chief M. Bryan Turner said, “years of hard work has brought us to the new level of policing, I am so proud of our department and the dedication of the officers, and staff we have at the Mauldin Police Department”.

Mayor Dennis Raines said,  “We congratulate Police Chief Bryan Turner, Captain Roger Tripp and the entire Police Department for taking this bold step and their success in doing so. This places our police department in an elite group of professional departments both nationally and within the State of South Carolina.  At Mauldin, we are dedicated to providing the best-trained officers available to our citizens”.

Councilman Bob Cook who serves as the Safety Committee Chairman stated, “This is a tremendous accomplishment for our police department.  We all know the excellence our department puts forth on a daily basis, this accreditation reaffirms we have one of the best police departments in the state”.

The period of accreditation is three years. During this time the Department must submit annual reports documenting continuing compliance with applicable standards. Reaccreditation occurs at the end of the three years, pending another successful on-site assessment and hearing before the Commission.

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