11-22-19 Hawaii Police Department Accreditation Status Renewed

Hawaiʻi Police Department
Office of the Chief
Chief Paul K. Ferreira
Phone: (808) 961-2244

Media Release

The Hawaiʻi Police Department has earned renewal of its accreditation status, keeping it part of an elite group of police departments accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies Inc. (CALEA).®

The accreditation renewal was announced Saturday (November 16) at the CALEA® fall conference in Covington, Kentucky, where the Hawaiʻi Police Department was one of 122 law enforcement agencies being evaluated for accreditation or reaccreditation.

During the conference, held (November 13-16), Police Chief Paul Ferreira and members of the Police Department’s Accreditation Section appeared before a CALEA® review committee to make presentations and answer questions about the department’s programs and outcomes. At the committee review, Police Chief Ferreira formally recognized the members of the department’s Accreditation Section for their dedication and hard work, which resulted in a very favorable review. On Saturday, the Commission announced that the department continues to deserve the coveted status of being accredited under the CALEA® Advanced Law Enforcement Accreditation program.

The members of the department’s Accreditation Section that were responsible for this successful outcome are Lieutenant Regino Saludares, Sergeant Travis Ing, Sergeant Matthew Bartz, and Clerk III Charisse Correa. Chief Ferreira said, “These individuals have worked tirelessly these past four years to ensure that this department would maintain its honored status of CALEA® accreditation, which validates to the community that our department is following national standards and best practices. It supports our commitment to the community in providing the highest quality police services. I also want to commend all of the department’s sworn and non-sworn employees for their commitment to and support of the CALEA® process; without which we would not have achieved reaccreditation.”

Of the roughly 23,000 law enforcement agencies in the United States, as of (2018), there were only about 900 CALEA® accredited law enforcement agencies.

The department was initially awarded accreditation seven years ago, on (November 17, 2012), and was reaccredited on (November 21, 2015). This continued process required department personnel to review and—when necessary—revise the department’s General Orders, policies and procedures to ensure they all met CALEA® standards.

This was the Hawaiʻi Police Department’s second reassessment since initial accreditation. This reassessment was the first of a new four-year process which included annual file reviews and a site-based assessment in the fourth year. A team of out-of-state certified CALEA® assessors conducted a site-based assessment in (August). The team visited district police stations and facilities and examined all aspects of the department while focusing on department programs and their outcomes and effectiveness. The team interacted with department personnel by riding along with patrol officers and conducting interviews with sworn and civilian personnel. Various community leaders were also interviewed.

During the site-based assessment, the team took comments from the public in a public session and by telephone to give members of the community an opportunity to comment on the department’s ability to maintain CALEA® standards. The CALEA® Standards Manual was made available for public review.

The department will continue to undergo annual file reviews, and site-based assessments every four years by CALEA® to demonstrate that it remains in compliance with more than 400 applicable CALEA® standards.

Being CALEA® accredited can limit the department’s exposure to liability risk because accreditation demonstrates that a team of independent outside CALEA®-trained assessors has verified that the department meets internationally recognized standards. CALEA® Accreditation will also assist in the department’s relentless pursuit of professional excellence and its commitment to its community with the highest quality of public safety service.

CALEA® was established as a credentialing authority in (1979) through the joint efforts of major law enforcement executive associations such as the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives, National Sheriff’s Association and the Police Executive Research Forum. The goals of CALEA® are to improve the delivery of public safety services by developing and maintaining a body of standards, establishing and administering an accreditation process for law enforcement agencies, and recognizing professional excellence in public safety.


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