MORRIS COUNTY — “A site-based assessment team from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA®), will examine all aspects of the Morris County Sheriff’s Office policy and procedures, management, operations, and support services, starting on Monday, October 21,” stated Morris County Sheriff James M. Gannon.
Verification by the team that the Morris County Sheriff’s Office 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, Sheriff Gannon said.
As part of the assessment, agency personnel and members of the community are invited to offer comments at a public information session on Tuesday, October 22 at 3:00 p.m. The session will be conducted in the Freeholders Public Meeting Room located on the Fifth Floor of the County of Morris Administration & Records Building, 10 Court Street, Morristown.
If for any reason an individual cannot speak at the public information session but would still like to provide comments to the assessment team, he/she may do so by telephone. The public may call (973) 285-6053 on Tuesday, October 22 between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 12:00 Noon.
Telephone comments as well as appearances at the public information session are limited to ten minutes and must address the agency’s ability to comply with CALEA Standards. A copy of the standards is available at the main Sheriff’s Office located in the Morris County Courthouse, 56 Washington Street, Morristown.
The local contact is Accreditation Manager Detective/Captain Denise Thornton at (973) 285-6675.
Persons wishing to offer written comments about the Morris County Sheriff’s Office’s ability to meet the standards for accreditation are requested to write: Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement, Inc. (CALEA®), 13575 Heathcote Boulevard, Suite 320 Gainesville, Virginia 20155.
The Morris County Sheriff’s Office has to comply with 361 standards in order to gain accredited status, Sheriff Gannon said.
“The Morris County Sheriff’s Office Bureau of Law Enforcement first achieved prestigious CALEA Accreditation in 1998 and has continued to maintain excellence and compliance with Accreditation standards that have increased in number over the past two decades. Accreditation helps to ensure consistency in top-level service and accountability to the public,” Sheriff Gannon said.
The Morris County Sheriff’s Office was first accredited in March of 1998 when the agency was found to be in compliance with 337 standards. The agency was re-accredited in 2004, 2007, 2009, 2012 and again in 2016.
Accreditation is for four years, during which the agency must submit annual reports, and participate in annual remote web-based assessments attesting continued compliance with those standards under which it was initially accredited.
For more information regarding the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. please write the Commission at 13575 Heathcote Boulevard, Suite 320 Gainesville, Virginia 20155; or call (703) 352-4225 or email calea@calea.org.
