Police seek comments on accreditation request

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.

A team of CALEA assessors will arrive on Aug. 4 to examine all aspects of the 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, Police Chief Harry Kubojiri said.

To gain accreditation, the department must comply with 421 standards. As part of the on-site assessment, department personnel and members of the community are invited to offer comments at a public information session from 5-7 p.m. on Aug. 6. The session, which will be conducted by the CALEA assessment team, will be held in the County Building’s Puna conference room, 25 Aupuni St., Suite 1501, in Hilo.

Those who wish to participate but can’t attend may make telephone comments by calling 961-2270 on Aug. 6 between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. Telephone comments as well as appearances at the public information session are limited to 10 minutes and must address the department’s ability to comply with CALEA standards. A copy of the standards is available at the Hilo station, at 349 Kapiolani Street.

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 the department’s ability to meet the standards for accreditation/recognition may write to: Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Inc., 13575 Heathcote Blvd., Suite 320, Gainesville, Va. 20155.