The Burlington County Sheriff’s Office is taking steps to receive national accreditation for the first time in its history.
Burlington County Sheriff James H. Kostoplis announced the new initiative, saying the office is working with the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies Inc. (CALEA) to receive this highly-prized recognition of public safety excellence. As part of the process, CALEA assessors will be on-site in Burlington County from Aug. 18 to Aug. 20 to examine all aspects of Sheriff’s Office policy and procedures, management, operations and support services.
Accreditation is a voluntary process to determine whether the Sheriff’s Office complies with the commission’s state-of-the-art standards. To obtain accreditation status, the office must comply with 181 standards.
“CALEA Accreditation is the gold standard for public safety agencies,” Sheriff Kostoplis said. “It demonstrates a commitment to professionalism, continuous improvement and community trust by ensuring the policies and practices meet internationally recognized best practices.”
A copy of the standards is at the Sheriff’s Office and is available by contacting Undersheriff Odise Carr at 609-265-5127 or by emailing ocarr@co.burlington.nj.us.
As part of the Sheriff’s Office assessment, agency personnel and members of the community are invited to provide comments via a portal on the Burlington County Sheriff’s Office website at https://www.co.burlington.nj.us/130/Sheriffs-Office . Comments will go directly to CALEA for review as part of its assessment. Copies will also be sent to the Sheriff or his designee.
Residents who cannot access the portal or who prefer to mail comments may do so by writing to the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Inc., 13575 Heathcote Boulevard, Suite 320, Gainesville, Virginia, 20155 or by emailing calea@calea.org.
“From securing the Courthouse and County facilities to locating fugitives, installing car seats and supporting local police departments, the Burington County Sheriff’s Office delivers a wide variety of service that are integral to keeping residents safe and secure,” said Burlington County Commissioner Deputy Director Allison Eckel, the liaison to the Department of Public Safety. “Seeking CALEA accreditation is another outstanding initiative undertaken during Sheriff Kostoplis’ command to modernize the office and ensure it’s organized in a way that allows officers and agents to better serve our residents.”