On April 12, a team of assessors from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc., CALEA, will examine all aspects of the North Carolina Alcohol Law Enforcement Division's policies and procedures, management, operations, and support services. ALE must comply with 333 standards to maintain accredited status.

As part of the on-site assessment, ALE employees and members of the community who wish to comment on the agency's ability to comply with CALEA's standards may call 919-715-1871 on Monday, April 14 from 1 pm to 4 pm. Telephone comments are limited to ten minutes. A copy of the standards is available at CALEA's website at www.calea.org or by contacting North Carolina Alcohol Law Enforcement Headquarters at 919-733-4060.

Those who would prefer to send their comments may write to: The Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA), 10302 Eaton Place, Suite 100, Fairfax, Virginia 22030-2215.

“The accreditation process is a voluntary one, and the achievement is a highly prized recognition of law enforcement excellence,” ALE Director William Chandler said. “We were the first alcohol law enforcement agency to achieve accredited status, and this is the first reaccreditation for the division. We've worked hard to achieve the high standards set forth by the commission, and feel that our employees have maintained that level of competence.”

Accreditation is for three years, during which the agency must submit annual reports attesting continued compliance with those standards under which it was initially accredited.