County police dept. applies for accreditation

Residents? comments about the Howard County Police Department will be factored into whether it will gain a national recognition of excellence.

“One of the constant criticisms we hear in law enforcement is we are not accountable to anyone,” said Sylvester Daughtry, executive director of the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies.

The commission, which assesses police departments on a voluntary basis, will determine how the Howard County Police Department measures up to more than 400 rigorous standards, he said.

Though the department has been accredited by CALEA for several years, it must be reviewed every three years as part of thereaccreditation process, Daughtry said.

“Being a nationally accredited police agency is important, because it tells our citizens that we are doing everything possible to offer them the highest quality of service,” Howard County Police Chief G. Wayne Livesay said in a statement.

As part of the four-day review process, four law enforcement assessors from outside the state will evaluate the department in several areas, including interviewing police personnel, reviewing files and directives, meeting with residents and inspecting facilities, according to Daughtry and the Howard County Police Department.

The Howard County Police Department is one of 27 law enforcement agencies in Maryland accredited by CALEA, Daughtry said. Ten more are in the process of being accredited.

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