A team of Assessors from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA®) will conduct a virtual assessment beginning Nov. 1, 2021 through Nov. 2, 2021, to examine all aspects of the Lexington County Communications Center’s directives and procedures, management, operations and support services. The Lexington County Communications Center is scheduled for a virtual assessment as part of a program to achieve re-accreditation by verifying that it meets professional standards.

Administered by CALEA®, the accreditation program requires agencies to comply with state-of-the-art standards in seven topic areas: Organization, Direction and Authority, Human Resources, Recruitment and Selection, Training, Operations and Critical Incidents, Special Operations and Homeland Security, in order to maintain accredited status.

As part of the virtual assessment, agency employees and members of the community are invited to offer comments to the assessment team. The public and agency employees may call (803) 785-8626 on Monday, Nov. 1, 2021 between the hours of 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.

Telephone comments during the public information session are limited to 10 minutes and must address this agency’s ability to comply with CALEA standards.  A copy of the standards is available at the Lexington County Communications Center.  The local contact is Vicki Spires 803-785-8613.

Anyone wishing to offer written comments about the Lexington County Communications Center’s ability to meet the standards for accreditation are requested to write:  Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA), 13575 Heathcote Blvd., Suite 320, Gainesville, VA  20155 or www.calea.org.

The Accreditation Program for the Lexington County Communications Center is administered by Major Vicki Spires.  The assessment team is composed of Public Safety practitioners from out of state agencies.  The Assessors will review written materials, interview individuals and visit offices and other places virtually where compliance can be witnessed.  The Assessors are Director Robert Stack, from Lexington, Kentucky, and Ms. Pamela Cimburke from Dinwiddie, Virginia.  Once the Commission’s Assessors complete their review of the agency, they report back to the full Commission, which will then decide if the agency has maintained their accreditation status.

Accreditation is valid for next four years, during which time the agency must submit annual reports and annual reviews attesting continued compliance with those standards under which it was initially accredited.