CALEA ACCREDITATION UNIT

This unit is responsible for maintaining the Sheriff’s Office compliance with 463 standards that are required for accreditation with the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA). CALEA was established in 1979 through the combined efforts of four law enforcement executive membership associations:

• International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP)
• National Sheriff’s Association (NSA)
• National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE)
• Police Executive Research Forum (PERF)

These organizations continue to serve in an advisory capacity to the Commission and are responsible for appointing members of the Commission’s Board.

Today there are approximately 588 law enforcement agencies throughout the nation that are accredited by CALEA. Out of 588, California currently has 14 agencies that have achieved accreditation status. The Alameda County Sheriff’s Office was first accredited in 1996 and has been re-accredited in 1999, 2002, 2005 and 2008.

Accreditation status is awarded to an agency for a three-year period. During this time frame, an agency must continually show compliance with the aforementioned standards. This is accomplished by obtaining supporting documentation from within the agency. Once compiled, this documentation is placed into standard-specific files for review by CALEA assessors. Additionally, an agency must submit an annual report to CALEA that documents continued compliance with all applicable standards.

Accreditation is strictly done on a voluntary basis. There are no local, state, or federal mandates that require an agency to seek accreditation. Accreditation provides an agency with a proven management system of written directives, sound training, clearly defined lines of authority, and routine reports that support decision making and resource allocation.

Accreditation personifies the concept of community policing. It establishes a forum in which an agency and the citizens it serves can work together to prevent and control crime. This partnership also assists citizens in understanding the challenges the Sheriff’s Office is faced with, in addition to law enforcement as a whole, and gives clear direction regarding community expectations.

TECHNICAL SERVICES UNIT

The mission of this unit is to maintain the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office Computer Information System with secure, reliable, dependable and accurate information. Technology has permeated all facets of police work and it is becoming more essential that deputies and management personnel utilize technology to perform their duties. The technical services unit provides desktop support for over 1200 computers and approximately 200 laptop computers that are in use throughout the agency.

Besides desktop support this unit also looks at the benefits of current and future information processing systems using accepted law enforcement and industry standards. Sharing information with other law enforcement agencies in Alameda County and across the State helps to solve criminal cases and protect our communities. Some of the recent projects that the unit has assisted with are: mobile data computers, countywide digital imaging system, and the automated fingerprint identification system. The technical services unit will continue to play an important role as the Sheriff’s Office utilizes technology to provide solutions to problems that improve the quality of service to our citizenry.

 

CENTRAL IDENTIFICATION BUREAU

The Central Identification Bureau is a 24-hour duty station. It is the central repository for all criminal master fingerprint cards (juvenile and adult) in Alameda County. CIB Fingerprint Technicians are responsible for timely processing and identification of all arrest fingerprints received from booking agencies in Alameda County utilizing AFIS (Automated Fingerprint Identification System). This second-generation state of the art computerized system is shared by Alameda and Contra Costa County. The current number of criminal fingerprint records maintained in this system exceeds 833,000.

CIB also processes all drug, sex, and arson registrant fingerprints in Alameda County. CIB currently employs one Latent Fingerprint Examiner who is responsible for processing latent fingerprint cases for the Sheriff’s Office and contract law enforcement agencies in Alameda County.

The Planning and Research Unit serves as the support staff for the Sheriff and the Undersheriff. Its main function is to provide for the development and utilization of limited personnel, equipment, and resources in ways that favorably affect future public welfare and the overall health of the organization. Some of the primary responsibilities are: staff inspections; ensure agency written directives are in compliance with the Sheriff's mandates as well as all federal and state laws; review pending legislation for potential impact on the agency; tracking of workplace violence incidents, research and report on assigned topics and issues, grant writing, building construction projects and the facilitation and coordination of agency events and activities.

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