Assessors Complete Rigorous On-Site Re-accreditation Review of Morris County Sheriff's Office Bureau of Law Enforcement
Published on October 25, 2019
A team of assessors got a comprehensive overview Wednesday, October 23, of the specialty services and vehicles and equipment used by the Morris County Sheriff's Office, along with a bonus display of the talents of Kai, a Belgian Malinois in the Agency's K-9 Section.
CALEA Assessor Charles Groover speaks to Morris County Sheriff's Office Detective Sergeant Jamie Rae during an on-site assessment for the agency's re-accreditation process.
The Sheriff's Office between Monday and Thursday morning underwent a site-based assessment as part of a program to achieve re-accreditation by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. CALEA accreditation requires law enforcement agencies to, voluntarily, comply with state of the art standards in the areas of policy and procedures, administration, operations and support services.
Morris County Sheriff James M. Gannon, flanked by CALEA Assessors Charles Groover and Thomas Clark, during a CALEA site-based assessment to determine whether the agency should be reaccredited.
Shortly before CALEA Assessors Thomas Clark and Charles Groover, both retired law enforcement professionals from out-of-state, completed their assessment, they met with Morris County Sheriff James M. Gannon, Undersheriff Mark Spitzer and other Command Staff for a debriefing. The assessors, who will file their findings with CALEA which will determine whether the agency should be re-accredited, said they spoke to 73 percent of the Morris County Sheriff's Office Bureau of Law Enforcement staff and fielded another 12 calls from the public.
You have an amazing agency here, you really do, Assessor Groover told Sheriff Gannon. We've been doing this a long time and we can tell pretty quickly if an agency is sincere or if it's smoke and mirrors. We see a genuine agency here. I think they draw their passion from you.
Morris County Sheriff's Office Detective Corporal Max Englert, of the Crime Scene Investigation unit, speaks with CALEA Assessors Thomas Clark and Charles Groover.
A good leader is the person who doesn't just tell people what to do. He participates, he shows them what he wants done and he's passionate about it. And that filters all the way down through your agency, Assessor Groover said.
Assessor Clark also praised the agency and noted the high morale of Officers and their willingness to listen to suggestions.
It was a pleasure to be here. It's one of the best agencies that I've ever had the privilege of inspecting and I couldn't be more proud of you, Assessor Clark said.
In providing the CALEA Assessors with an in-depth look at the Sheriff's Office Bureau of Law Enforcement, Accreditation Manager Detective Captain Denise Thornton arranged Wednesday for an impressive visual static display “ a fleet of specialized agency vehicles and on-board equipment -- to be available for the assessors' inspection on the grounds of the Morris County Public Safety Academy.
Detective Captain Thornton was assisted throughout the process by her accreditation team: Sheriff's Office Corporal Laura Bertelli, Sheriff's Investigator Ashley Craig and Sheriff's Officers Kayla Santos and Travis Somerville.
Morris County Sheriff's Office Accreditation Team, from left: Officer Travis Somerville, Detective Captain Denise Thornton, Corporal Laura Bertelli, Investigator Ashley Craig, Officer Kayla Santos.
On Wednesday, more than a dozen Officers, Investigators and Detectives described for the assessors their work in the Crime Scene Investigation (CSI), Bomb Squad and K-9 Units and on the Sheriff's Emergency Response Team (SERT). The agency's specialized services are shared with all 39 municipalities in Morris County.
The Morris County Sheriff's Office is fully and voluntarily open to the scrutiny by independent assessors and we welcome the opportunity to showcase to them the agency's professionalism and concern for the community, Morris County Sheriff James M. Gannon said.
The assessors viewed the Crime Scene Investigation Command Truck, Emergency Service Unit (ESU) vehicles, the Mobile Crime Lab, Accident Reconstruction Truck, Bomb Squad Truck, and the Bearcat armored vehicle used by SERT Officers, along with all the accompanying equipment.
After their two-hour scrutiny, the assessors visited the Morris County Sheriff's Office K-9 kennels and training grounds for a tour given by K-9 Section Detective Lieutenant Aaron Tomasini and Detective Corporal Michael McMahon.
CALEA Assessors Charles Groover and Thomas Clark receive an overview of the Bomb Squad functions and equipment from Morris County Sheriff's Office Detective Sergeant Doug Meyer.
The K-9 Section responds to about 550 calls annually from police departments that need assistance with fires, on traffic stops where drugs are suspected of being present, and on missing persons investigations. The Section also conducts about 350 sweeps annually of the Morris County Courthouse Complex and another 250 sweeps of the Morris County Correctional Facility.
Corporal McMahon, a prize-winning K-9 trainer and handler, introduced the assessors to Kai, a Belgian Malinois who displayed her fitness by climbing stairs, jumping hurdles and catching a Frisbee on the K-9 training grounds.
In the past week, the assessors analyzed agency policies and procedures, taken tours of the Morris County courthouse complex “ which the Sheriff's Office protects “ and met with Officers, civilian employees and even Superior Court Assignment Judge Stuart Minkowitz.
The Sheriff's Office in the spring of 2020 will undergo a final review before a panel of CALEA commissioners who will determine whether the Sheriff's Office will achieve re-accreditation.