The Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) is conducting a site-based assessment of the Port of Seattle Police Department (POSPD) with public hearings to offer comments on Monday, July 26. The POSPD is working to maintain its CALEA accreditation which was initially achieved in 2011.
The POSPD consists of more than 100 officers responsible for the security and safety of facilities stretching from Seattle-Tacoma Airport to the Seattle waterfront including Terminal 5, Harbor Island, Pier 66 & 69, Terminal 90-91, Fisherman’s Terminal, and Shilshole Bay Marina. The department has many specially trained teams, including bomb squad, hostage negotiation, bicycle patrol, marine and dive team, explosive and narcotics K-9 units, SWAT team, and various task forces.
National accreditation from CALEA is the recognition of law enforcement professional excellence, attained by only five percent of police agencies nationwide. In Washington State, the POSPD is one of only eight law enforcement agencies nationally accredited.
CALEA’s on-site assessment is intended to evaluate the POSPD’s policy and procedures, leadership, operations, and support services to ensure they meet the standards of contemporary law enforcement. The verification by the assessment team will determine if the department meets the Commission’s state-of-the-art standards as part of a voluntary process to gain national accreditation.
As part of the on-site assessment, employees and community members are invited to participate in one or both of the public comment sessions facilitated by the assessment team:
- Call-In Session: Monday, July 26, 2021 at 12:30 p.m. — employees and the public can offer comments by calling (206) 787-6418.
- Virtual Session: Monday, July 26, 2021 at 3:00 p.m. — employees and the public can offer comments by accessing the virtual link via Microsoft Teams
Telephone comments and virtual appearances are limited to five minutes each and must address the agency’s ability to comply with CALEA standards. The local contact person is Sergeant Molly Kerns (206) 787-6418 in the POSPD’s Office of Professional Standards.
Written comments about the Port of Seattle Police Department’s ability to meet the standards for accreditation can be submitted to the assessment team at: Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement, Inc. 13575 Heathcote Boulevard, Suite 320, Gainesville, Virginia 20155.
Read more at the Port of Seattle
