Professional Standards

The public has a right to fair, impartial and efficient service from their public servants. These qualities can best be assured through detection, thorough investigation and appropriate adjudication of any Departmental misconduct.

Lasting impressions of the Department are often created by the individual conduct of its personnel. It is imperative that the misconduct of a few does not compromise the integrity of the entire organization. An informed public is better served when it knows the Department will investigate and adjudicate all allegations of misconduct in an honest, fair and consistent manner. A consistently thorough investigative process also assures the protection of employees against false allegations.

Occasionally, the investigative process will reveal changes needed in policies or procedures that would otherwise have gone undetected. Corrections or improvements can then be made to ensure the continued efficiency of the Department and its members.

Professional Standards End-of-Year Reports

How to File a Complaint

Visit our Compliments and Complaints page to find out how to file a complaint, what you can expect during the complaint process, and Bryan Police Department complaint policies.

Accreditation

The Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) was formed in 1979 and is currently sponsored by the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), the National Sheriff’s Association (NSA) the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE), and the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF). This Commission has developed a comprehensive set of standards covering every aspect of police service policies, practices, and operations.

The commission was formed to develop a set of law enforcement standards and establish and administer an accreditation process by which law enforcement at the state and local levels can demonstrate voluntarily that they meet professional criteria. The overall goal of the accreditation program is to improve the delivery of law enforcement services from coast to coast and currently includes agencies in Canada.

The Bryan Police Department was awarded Accreditation on November 18, 2006.

Accreditation benefits Bryan Police Department employees by:

• Assuring that department policies and procedures are in written form and are available to all personnel.
• Assuring department personnel that every aspect of it’s personnel system is in accord with a nationwide standard and that it is both fair and equitable.
• Enhancing the morale of department personnel by building the confidence of employees in the effectiveness and efficiency of their own agency.

Accreditation benefits Bryan citizens by:

• Demonstrating the commitment of the agency to professionalism in terms of adherence to a body of national standards.
• Enhancing community understanding of the police department’s role, as well its goals and objectives.
• Committing the agency to a broad range of programs of direct benefit to the public as well as programs to cope with man-made or natural disasters.
• Promoting community cooperation and understanding.

Other benefits include:

• Providing state and local law enforcement the opportunity to demonstrate voluntarily that they meet an established set of law enforcement standards.
• Demonstrating the commitment of an agency to professionalism.
• Reducing the impact of vicarious liability suits against the agency.
• Providing objective measures to justify decisions related to budget requests and personnel policies.

The Accreditation Process

Phase 1: Application
The agency makes written application to the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc.

The Bryan Police Department completed the Application Phase in May 2004.

Phase 2: Agency Profile Questionnaire
Following application, the Commission solicits information from the agency in the form of a questionnaire. This questionnaire provides details regarding the agency’s size, responsibilities, functions, facilities, crime statistics, etc. From the completed questionnaire, the Commission determines which of the professional standards must be met by the agency to be accredited.

The Bryan Police Department completed the Agency Profile Questionnaire in June 2004.

Phase 3: Self Assessment
Once the Commission has determined standards of which the agency must comply, the agency is provided a listing of these standards. The agency then begins an in-depth comprehensive analysis of its policies, procedures, and day-to-day operations, and establishes documented proof of compliance for inspection by the Commission.

The Bryan Police Department completed the Self-Assessment Phase in April 2006.

Phase 4: On-Site Assessment
After the agency is satisfied that it has achieved compliance with the applicable standards, it notifies the Commission. The Commission then identifies an outside team of assessors. The assessors conduct an extensive review of the agency’s documented proof of compliance to determine if the agency complies with each of the standards.

The Bryan Police Department completed the On-Site Inspection on August 14-16, 2006.

Phase 5: Commission Review and Decision
The on-site team submits a written report to the Commission. Based on this report, the commission either grants full accreditation to the agency or defers accreditation status.

The Bryan Police Department was awarded Accreditation on November 18, 2006.