Highlighting the MNPD's Partners in Care program that pairs mental health clinicians with patrol officers, among other innovative strategies, the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) today awarded the department Advanced Law Enforcement Reaccreditation with Excellence at its summer meeting in Little Rock, Arkansas.
The Metropolitan Nashville Police Department has been continuously accredited since 1994 and was found during an on-site assessment in March to be in full compliance with 364 internationally accepted standards covering the department's policies and procedures, operations and support services.
Chief John Drake and the department's accreditation staff appeared Saturday morning before a panel of CALEA commissioners led by Oklahoma State Senator Darrell Weaver, retired director of the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics. In addition to citing the Partners in Care Program, Commissioner Weaver noted the success of the Alternative Police Response Unit that is staffed by retired officers who take minor police reports over the phone to free up patrol personnel for more serious calls, as well as the success of the Operation 72 initiative to curtail auto theft.
"For 31 years, this department has been intentional about fulfilling CALEA's evolving accreditation requirements as part of the commitment to uphold our core pillar of organizational excellence," Chief Drake said. "That's reflected in the dedicated daily work of officers, detectives and professional support staff."
The Advanced Law Enforcement Reaccreditation with Excellence designation is for a period of four years.
