Guest commentary from Sheriff Brad Slater November 29, 2009 Standards strengthen accountability By BRAD SLATER Guest commentary From Dec. 5 to Dec. 8, your Weber County Sheriff's Office will be reviewed by an independent outside team of specially trained assessors from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc., also known as (CALEA) deals only with law enforcement standards in the areas of policy and procedure, management, operations and support services. It does not deal with corrections policies, procedures or issues. This assessment will primarily consist of reviewing our policies, procedures and observation of your sheriff's office in action. The CALEA process contains over 460 standards of nationally recognized performance measures upon which your Weber County Sheriffs Office has built policies and procedures. Not all of them are applicable to our agency, but the majority are and we must show compliance to applicable standards for re-accreditation. This is our third accreditation assessment and the upcoming assessment is for the purpose of confirming our past compliance to these standards for the past three years. Why accreditation? First, in today's litigious environment, state and local governments are increasingly being sued and held liable for actions committed by public safety employees. Activities involving public safety personnel are the source of a significant percentage of these lawsuits. This can be particularly worrisome for public safety agencies that are operating under out-dated or non-existent policies and procedures. One of the best defenses against lawsuits brought against a law enforcement agency is that agency was acting properly in accordance with established, written policies that meet CALEA standards and that the agency has been reviewed by an independent outside team of CALEA trained assessors The adoption of performance standards, which serve to reduce risk exposures associated with these activities, is strongly encouraged by a variety of government risk managers, including the Utah Counties Insurance Pool, which provides insurance coverage for Weber County and the Sheriffs Office. Second, the CALEA program provides a framework through which the agency can evaluate, strengthen, improve and maintain its effectiveness in accordance with nationally recognized standards. This means the agency keeps in check law enforcement activities, procedures and goals, and ensures the continuing stable condition and health Slater of the agency. Periodic review of our agency for compliance helps us to avoid the worrisome problems mentioned above of outdated or non-existent policies and procedures. Third, adherence to CALEA standards helps to strengthen accountability and provide policies that improve the relationship with the community; provides transparency, presents the CEO on a continuing basis, with a blue print that promotes efficient use of resources, improves service delivery; and provides agency personnel with an appropriate grievance system. Finally, accreditation is a statement to our citizens and taxpayers that we take seriously the law enforcement duties to which we have been entrusted. Law enforcement work is demanding and hazardous. It can be exhilarating and frustrating. It is a career that requires dedication, integrity, sensitivity, and strength of mind, body, and spirit. It is a statement about the ideals and commitment of the men and women of the Weber County Sheriffs Office and their desire to continually improve and enhance our service to you. It is not a claim to perfection or infallibility. Instead, it is a commitment by your sheriff's office and its employees to seek improvement, enhance public trust and maintain high standards associated with law enforcement training, operations, policy and procedure. To this end the assessment will also include two opportunities for public input or comment. On Dec. 7, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., assessors Larry Schultz and Gary Frazee will be taking phone calls from the public about the law enforcement operations at the Weber County Sheriff's Office. Calls will be confidential and unrecorded. Callers may contact the assessors at 801-778-6906 between the above listed hours. On Dec. 7, there will be a public information session in which people are invited to speak to the assessors directly in an open public meeting. This hearing will be held at the Washington Terrace city offices located at 5249 S. South Point Drive in Washington Terrace. This public session will begin at 5:30 p.m. As your Weber County sheriff, please accept our invitation to all citizens to voice their comments at either the telephone session or the public hearing. For more information about CALEA, please log onto WWW.CALEA.ORG. Slater is the sheriff of Weber County. 112