On March 8, a team of assessors from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA) will be conducting a virtual assessment of the Novi Police Department.
 
By choosing to be law enforcement agency accredited through CALEA, the Novi Police Department has voluntarily accepted the challenge to meet the most rigorous set of standards designed for law enforcement in the United States.
 
“Verification by the CALEA assessment team that the Novi Police Department meets the Commission’s state-of-the-art standards is a highly prized recognition of law enforcement professional excellence,” said Director of Public Safety/Chief of Police David E. Molloy.
 
As part of the virtual on-site assessment, agency employees and members of the community are invited to offer comments at a virtual public hearing on Monday, March 8, starting at 6 p.m.  Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the hearing will be conducted virtually via video ZOOM with the assessment team utilizing the following ZOOM link: https://zoom.us/j/93704545285?pwd=UEhIMXMzeE51SGRXQWp5SlkzTVdxQT09
 
If for any reason an individual cannot attend the public information session but would still like to provide comments to the assessment team, he/she may do so by telephone. The public phone-in session is on March 8 at 1 p.m. The number to call is 937-694-5891. Telephone comments as well as appearances at the public information session are limited to 10 minutes and must address the agency’s ability to comply with CALEA’s standards.
 
Persons wishing to offer written comments about the Novi Police Department’s ability to meet the standards for accreditation are requested to write: Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA), 13575 Heathcote Boulevard Suite 320 Gainesville, Virginia 20155, or e-mail to calea@calea.org, with the subject line “Novi, Michigan Police Department.”
 
The Novi Police Department must comply with all applicable CALEA Standards in order to achieve re-accredited status. “Accreditation is very important to the Novi Police Department because it is a way of measuring ourselves against nationally recognized standards, and fits perfectly with the City’s commitment to increased professionalism and public safety,” said Molloy.
 
The assessment team is composed of law enforcement practitioners from out-of-state agencies who have received specialized assessor training from CALEA. The assessors will review written materials, interview individuals, and virtually observe facilities where compliance can be witnessed.
 
Once the Commission’s assessors complete their review of the agency, they report to the full CALEA Commission, which will then decide if the agency has met all of the requirements for Law Enforcement re-accreditation.
 
Accreditation periods/cycles are four years. In addition to the assessment, during this period the Novi Police Department must undergo a yearly compliance file review of standards conducted by CALEA and submit data and annual reports in order to maintain accredited status. The Novi Police Department was initially awarded law enforcement advanced accreditation on July 29, 2017.
 
For more information on the Novi Police and Fire Departments, visit cityofnovi.org.