The Orange County Sheriff’s Office is one of only two Sheriff’s Offices in New York State, and one of eleven law enforcement agencies statewide, to hold CALEA accreditation.
CALEA stands for the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies. It is a program that provides standards reflecting the best practices of law enforcement. These standards are established by many of law enforcement’s major executive associations. To achieve this designation, an agency must undergo a rigorous assessment process. This process demonstrates compliance with the standards. To maintain the status, a four-year review cycle is in place.
The OCSO is currently in the fourth year of the review cycle. This year involves a three-day on-site assessment, a web-based assessment, reports, informational updates, and a final commission review. We just completed our on-site assessment with CALEA assessor and program director Terry Clanton. Over the course of three days, Mr. Clanton spoke with many of our members about various topics, policies, and programs. He also interviewed people about our community interactions and conduct with local leaders, government officials, business owners, and stakeholders. The assessment ended with a final exit interview with the Sheriff’s Office Command Staff. County Executive Neuhaus and community member and retired court officer Dwyane Jordan also showed their support for our agency by stopping in the exit interview to listen to Mr. Clanton’s feedback and insights on our agency.
Next step- Commission Review. Stay tuned for the final decision on our reaccreditation status coming soon!
For more information or to contact my office, please visit www.orangecountygov.com and click on the Sheriff’s Office links or contact us at OCNYSheriff@orangecountygov.com.
