A team of assessors from the Commission on the Accreditation or Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc., (CALEA) will begin an on-site audit of the Charles County Sheriff’s Office on Aug. 21 during which they will conduct a detailed inspection of the Sheriff’s Office and accept public comment at an information session.

The public information session will be held Aug. 23 at 6 p.m. in the auditorium of the Charles County Government Building located at 200 Baltimore Street in La Plata. Agency employees and members of the community are invited participate. Anyone who cannot speak at the session may provide comments by telephone. The assessment team will take calls at 301-609-6545 on Aug. 23 between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. Telephone comments and appearances at the public information session are limited to 10 minutes and must address the Sheriff’s Office’s ability to comply with CALEA’s standards.

A copy of the standards manual is available at the Office of Planning and Accreditation at the Sheriff’s headquarters located at 6915 Crain Highway in La Plata. To make arrangements to review the CALEA standards, call the Planning office at 301-609-6416.

The assessors will also accept written comments about the Sheriff’s Office’s ability to meet CALEA’s standards. Mail written comments to the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc./Attention: Program  Director Christi Goddard/ 13575 Heathcote Blvd., Suite 320/Gainesville, VA/20155. 

During the inspection portion of the on-site audit, the assessors will examine the Sheriff’s Office’s policies and procedures, management, operations and support services. Among its standards CALEA requires a set of well-thought written directives, a well-developed system of internal reporting used to provide the Sheriff with fact-based information upon which to make management decisions, and a preparedness program for all types of emergencies.

“CALEA sets the bar high with hundreds of strict standards — standards which only a select few law enforcement agencies manage to meet,” said Sheriff Rex Coffey. “I take pride in knowing we are part of an elite group that recognizes our professionalism, dedication and integrity and in knowing that our accreditation helps us ensure we are performing at an optimal level for the citizens of Charles County. Plus, not only do the benefits of accreditation far outweigh any associated costs but by being accredited we receive a discount on our insurance premium.”

The assessors are Chief Roy Liddicott, from Fort Lauderdale, Fla.., who is the team leader and Lieutenant John Dolan, from Hillsboro, Mo.  The assessors will review written materials, interview individuals and visit offices and other places where compliance with CALEA standards can be observed. Once the Commission=s assessors complete their review of the Agency, they report back to the full Commission, which will then decide whether the Sheriff’s Office will maintain its accredited status.

CALEA assessors are recruited from some distance away from the agency to be assessed in order to maintain the objectivity of the assessment process,@ said Danny Johnson, the Sheriff’s Deputy Director of Planning and Accreditation. 

CALEA was established in 1979 as a credentialing authority through the International Association of Chiefs of Police, National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives, National Sheriffs’ Association and Police Executive Research Forum. For more information about CALEA visit its website,

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