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<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nThe in-person public information session scheduled for Tuesday, May 5, 2020, at 5:00 p.m. has been canceled.\u00a0However, the public can still provide comments to the assessment team by calling\u00a0(863) 834-2705\u00a0on Tuesday, May 5, 2020, between the hours of 2:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m.\u00a0Telephone comments are limited to 10 minutes and must address the agency\u2019s ability to comply with CALEA Standards. Persons wishing to offer written comments about the Lakeland Police Department\u2019s ability to meet the standards for accreditation are requested to write: Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement, Inc. (CALEA\u00ae), 13575 Heathcote Boulevard, Suite 320 Gainesville, Virginia 20155.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A copy of the standards is available via a public records request. Contact Tom Trulson, Public Records Response Coordinator at\u00a0863.834.6947\u00a0or\u00a0tom.trulson@lakelandgov.net<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Lakeland Police Department has to comply with 462 standards and our 911 Emergency Communications Center must comply with 199 standards in order to gain accredited status, Chief Garcia said. \u201cAccreditation is a voluntary process our agency participates in to ensure we are meeting and exceeding the high standards we\u2019ve set for ourselves and the nationally accepted practices and standards set by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Accreditation is for four years, during which the agency must submit annual reports, and participate in annual remote web-based assessments attesting continued compliance with those standards under which it was initially accredited.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n