The Smithfield Police Department is proud to announce that it has been awarded “Accreditation with Excellence” status by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA). The award was presented in a ceremony at the most recent CALEA Conference, held in Charleston, SC, on March 23rd, 2013. Present for the ceremony and accepting the award on behalf of the Department were Police Chief Richard St. Sauveur, Jr., Deputy Police Chief Robert VanNieuwenhuyze, and Patrol Officer Dennis Courtemanche. The Smithfield Police Department has maintained national accreditation since 2001, an ongoing process that requires the agency to meet or exceed over four hundred professional, law enforcement standards covering every facet of its administration and operations.
“Excellence” status is awarded only to those agencies that meet specific criteria set forth by CALEA, and have demonstrated excellence in the following areas: development and implementation of contemporary policy and procedure; ability to use the accreditation process as a tool for continuous organizational improvement; collection, review, and analysis of organizational data for the purpose of public safety improvement; addressing the intent of accreditation standards, beyond compliance; has demonstrated advocacy for accreditation as a strategy for enhancing the professional standing of public safety; and has demonstrated an organizational culture supportive of accreditation. The Smithfield Police Department is currently only one of two Rhode Island law enforcement agencies to be awarded Accreditation with Excellence status, and one of only six agencies in New England.
For more information regarding CALEA, its programs, and a list of those agencies that are nationally accredited, please visit www.calea.org.
(L – R: Executive Director Sylvester Daughtry,Jr., Patrol Officer Dennis Courtemanche, Deputy Chief Robert VanNieuwenhuyze, Chief Richard P. St.Sauveur, Jr., & Commissioner Louis Dekmar)