Biddeford Police Department earned national accreditation in 2018, and is in the process of renewing. The Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. will be in town March 7 and 8 and as part of the visit is seeking comment from the public. Here in a 2018 photo marking the national achievement are Lt. Rick Doyon and Police Chief Roger Beaupre. Tammy Wells Photo
BIDDEFORD — Biddeford Police Department was awarded national accreditation back in 2018 and is now pursuing reaccreditation.
As part of the process, a team of assessors from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc., will complete an examination of all aspects of the Biddeford Police Department policies and procedures, management, operations, and support services on March 7 and 8 to make sure the department meets the standards.
The public can comment in-person or through an online Zoom link to a public session, by placing a phone call to CALEA or by mail or email.
The four-year CALEA accreditation is a voluntary process that the Biddeford Police Department has pursued to maintain and implement best practices and demonstrate the commitment of the men and women of the department to professional law enforcement in and for the community, city officials said in a news release.
In addition to Biddeford, accredited law enforcement agencies in Maine include Auburn Police Department, Lewiston Police, South Portland Police, and the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office.
Achieving accreditation in 2018 meant the agency complied with 161 applicable mandatory national standards for how police do their work — from everything like how the agency deals with use of force incidents to how evidence is stored. Biddeford Police Department voluntarily adopted many more standards, for a total of more than 200, said Lt. Rick Doyon, the department’s accreditation manager in a 2018 interview.
As an example, Police Chief Roger Beaupre noted that every time police use force to apprehend someone, the officer must file a report that outlines what transpired. That information, along with dash or body camera footage, goes to the officer’s immediate supervisor for review, then to the patrol commander, and finally, to the chief, who determines if action is required, he said in a 2018 interview.
Another standard requires that the contents of the evidence room be inspected six times a year. Officers are handed a list of 100 pieces of evidence that must be produced, said Doyon.
On March 7 and 8, members of the Biddeford community and Biddeford Police Department employees are encouraged to offer comments to the assessment team regarding re-accreditation. Due to the current pandemic, the assessment team will receive public comment in several ways:
A public forum will be held in the council chambers at Biddeford City Hall on Main Street starting at 3:30 p.m. on Monday, March 7. Biddeford Communications Coordinator Danica Lamontagne said those unable to attend in person may participate via Zoom by logging into the session or calling into the session by joining the Zoom meeting at: https://biddeford.zoom.us/j/92907254281. The meeting ID is: 929 0725 4281
To call in, find the local number at: https://biddeford.zoom.us/u/aGEHqHzaL
As well, the public may call (207)-571-1670 between 9 and 11 a.m. Tuesday, March 8, to offer comment directly to the CALEA assessors.
Those wishing to offer written comments about the Biddeford Police Department’s ability to meet the standards for accreditation may write to: Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc., 13575 Heathcote Blvd., Suite 320, Gainesville, VA, 20155. Email should be addressed to: calea@calea.org, and Biddeford Police Department added to the subject line of the email.
The four-year accreditation requires agencies to submit annual reports, and participate in annual remote web-based assessments attesting to their continued compliance with the standards.
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