Chief Harry Kubojiri announces that the Hawaii Police Department is about to enter its final phase of efforts to achieve accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies Inc. (CALEA®). Chief Harry Kubojiri announces that the Hawaii Police
Chief Harry Kubojiri announces that the Hawaii Police Department is about to enter its final phase of efforts to achieve accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies Inc. (CALEA®).
A team of CALEA assessors will arrive on the Island of Hawaii on Saturday, Aug. 4, to examine all aspects of the Police Department’s policies and procedures, management, operations, and support services.
The team’s verification that the Police Department meets the commission’s state-of-the-art standards is part of a voluntary process to gain accreditation—a highly prized recognition of public safety professional excellence, Chief Kubojiri said.
To gain accredited status, the Hawaii Police Department must comply with 421 standards.
As part of the on-site assessment, Police Department personnel and members of the community are invited to offer comments at a public information session from 5 to 7 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 6. The session, which will be conducted by the CALEA assessment team, will be held in the County Building’s Puna Conference Room located at 25 Aupuni St., Suite 1501, in Hilo.
Those interested in participating but unable to attend may provide telephone comments by calling 961-2270 between 1 and 3 p.m. on the day of the meeting.
Telephone comments as well as appearances at the public information session are limited to 10 minutes and must address the Hawaii Police Department’s ability to comply with CALEA standards. A copy of the standards is available at the South Hilo station, at 349 Kapiolani St. in Hilo. The Police Department’s CALEA program manager is Lt. Kenneth Bugado Jr., who can be reached at 961-2260.
Persons wishing to offer written comments about HPD’s ability to meet the standards for accreditation/recognition may write to: Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement, Inc. (CALEA®), 13575 Heathcote Boulevard, Suite 320 Gainesville, VA 20155.
Bugado said the assessment team is composed of public safety practitioners from out-of-state agencies. The assessors will review written materials, interview individuals, and visit offices and other locations where compliance can be witnessed.
The assessors are Chief William Benson of the Wheeling Police Department (team leader) and Sgt. Charles Groover of the Covington Police Department.
Once the CALEA assessors complete their review of the Hawaii Police Department, they will report back to the full Commission, which will then decide if the Police Department is to be granted accredited status, Bugado said.
Accreditation is for three years, during which the Police Department must submit annual reports attesting continued compliance with those standards under which it was initially accredited.
For more information about the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc., you may write to the CALEA address above, call (703) 352-4225, or email calea@calea.org.
