Published: August 15, 2008 11:28 pm         

Want to comment on Sheriff’s Department?

For the sixth time since it first became an accredited law enforcement agency in the early 1980s, the Elkhart County Sheriff’s Department will verify its professional standards.

Representatives of the Commission on Accreditation of Law Enforcement Agencies are visiting to review the department’s compliance in four categories: Policies and procedures, administration, operations and supportservices.

As part of the on-site assessment, community members are invited to offer comments about the agency’s ability to meet accreditation standards.

Four options exist for participation:

• In person at 7 p.m. Monday in Room 104 of the Elkhart County Administration Building, 117 N. Second St., Goshen (comments must be limited to 10 minutes);

• Telephone from 1 to 5 p.m. Monday by calling (574) 535-6508 (comments must be limited to 10 minutes);

• Via letter to CALEA, 10302 Eaton Place, Suite 100, Fairfax, VA22030;

• Online via the Internet at www.calea.org/online/comments/feedback.htm.

The CALEA standards are available for review in the sheriff’s downtown Goshen office, 111 N. Third St., or by calling department spokesman Trevor Wendzonka at (574) 535-6504. Information also is available on the Web site www.elkhartcountysheriff.com.

Randy Cripe is again managing the three-year accreditation process for the Sheriff’s Department. CALEA assessors are public-safety professionals from other states, and their report is the basis for the national commission to make its determination.