Clinton PD earns more honors

Clinton Police celebrated achieving another milestone and honored one of its own as the department was recognized for its continued efforts of professionalism, earning them another accreditation award.

The achievement was shared by Clinton Police Chief and Public Safety Director Anthony Davis, who presented the announcement of their accreditation to City Council at Tuesday’s meeting.

“Mayor (Lew) Starling and members of City Council, it’s my honor to be here today to celebrate another exceptional milestone in our Police Department — the receipt of our fourth CALEA (Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies) accreditation award,” Davis said during his remarks.

According to www.calea.org, the Law Enforcement Accreditation process focuses on standards that provide best practices related to life, health and safety procedures for the agency. These standards are considered foundational for contemporary law enforcement agencies.

The program provides the framework for addressing high risk issues within a contemporary environment, and ensures officers are prepared to meet basic community service expectations and prepared to manage critical events.

“This achievement reflects not only the dedication and hard work of our entire department, but also our ongoing commitment to upholding the highest standards of professionalism and accountability in law enforcement,” Davis continued. “As you may know, the accreditation process is a rigorous, highly respected national program to evaluate law enforcement agencies against more than 450 standards covering everything from use of force policies to community engagement strategies. It is a testament to an agency’s commitment to provide professional, transparent and effective policing.”

Davis had the department’s accreditation award with him to show the Council and those attending this week’s meeting. With that was a second certificate from CALEA, one of appreciation for Belinda Parker, who Davis largely credited for the department receiving the accreditation.

“This year’s final review found no deficiencies and no file issues, a clear indication of the department’s excellence in meeting and exceeding these challenging standards,” he said. “This achievement would not have been possible without the tireless dedication of our accreditation manager, Belinda Parker. Belinda’s leadership and expertise throughout the entire process has been invaluable. Her meticulous attention to detail and unwavering commitment to the highest standards of professionalism ensured that our department’s practices were fully aligned with the CALEA demanding criteria.”

That degree of standard was something Davis said Parker and the entire department deserved recognition for.

“It is also important to recognize that this award reflects the dedication of every member of our department,” he said. “Each man and woman in the Police Department plays an integral role in fostering a culture of professional policing. From our officers on the front lines, to our admin staff, everyone embodies the principles of professionalism, accountability and service to our community. Their professionalism, integrity and commitment to continuously improvement ensures that we are not only meeting current standards, but are actively seeking to exceed them, day in and day out.”

That level of excellence, Davis said, is something the department will be dedicated to going forward.

“As we look forward, with this moment of recognition, it is also a reminder that our journey towards excellence continues,” he said. “We will remain focused on our core mission, which is to serve and protect our community with the utmost professionalism and care. The standards we’ve set through the CALEA process will assist us as we continue to evolve and adapt to the challenges of modern day law enforcement.

He continued, “In conclusion, I want to express my gratitude to you, mayor and city council, for your continued support of our department. And your continued effort to provide the highest level of service for the citizens we serve. This fourth CALEA accreditation is a shared achievement, and I look forward to working together to maintaining and pushing these standards as we move forward.”