Press Release | Office of the Mayor | Independent Review Confirms Westland Police Department's Full Compliance with CALEA Standards

For Immediate Release | Official Press Release

PRESS RELEASE

OFFICE OF THE MAYOR

36300 Warren Road | Westland, Michigan | 48185

Office 734.467.3200 | Fax 734.422.1230

WWW.CITYOFWESTLAND.COM

Independent Review Confirms Westland Police Department's Full Compliance with CALEA Standards

Westland, MI (April 3, 2018] - Upon completion of a week long review, the Westland Police Department has upheld the standards of its Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA) certification. Westland Police earned their initial CALEA certification in April of 2016, becoming only the 6th department in the State of Michigan to pass certification standards.

Each year the process for ensuring standards are upheld becomes more detailed and the expectations increase. The initial accreditation is good for four years, but the department is subject to annual reviews to ensure compliance.

This year the independent review was conducted by Compliance Service Manager John Sofie who retired out of the Renton, Washington Police Department. Mr. Sofie reported that the Westland Police Department was in full compliance with the reviewed standards and reported there were no compliance issues.

"I am extremely proud of our staff," commented Westland Police Chief, Jeff Jedrusik. "This is not an easy process and less than 5% of the entire country's law enforcement agencies have been able to accomplish this task."

Since the first CALEA Accreditation Award was granted in 1984, the program has become the primary method for an agency to voluntarily demonstrate their commitment to excellence in law enforcement. The standards upon which the Law Enforcement Accreditation Program is based reflect the current thinking and experience of law enforcement practitioners and researchers. Major law enforcement associations, leading educational and training institutions, governmental agencies, as well as law enforcement executives internationally, acknowledge CALEA's Standards for Law Enforcement Agencies and its Accreditation Programs as benchmarks for professional law enforcement agencies.

"The Westland Police Department continues to demonstrate professional excellence," commented Mayor Wild. "I commend Police Chief Jedrusik and the entire department for continuing to operate at this "International Gold Standard" for law enforcement agencies."

The Westland Police Department is currently one of only eight law enforcement agencies in the state of Michigan to have achieved this accreditation.

For more information, please call Aubrey Berman at (734)467-3200

Westland, Michigan is the state's 10th largest municipality, with a population of over 84,000 people who exhibit a great deal of pride in their All-American City. Westland has a thriving business community along with beautiful residential areas. The citizens enjoy a wide array of amenities and a quality of life that is second to none.

In 2014, Westland was rated as one of 24/7 Wall Street's America's Best 50 Cities to Live, offering residents and visitors an ideal blend of single-family affordable homes, apartments and condominiums, great schools, and access to numerous outdoor activities. Public safety is delivered by full-service, professional law enforcement and firefighting personnel. Westland Police Department, whose motto is protect and serve, provides emergency dispatch services to four cities and over 100,000 residents; the Westland Fire Department are licensed paramedics who responded to over 9,000 calls for service last year, about 85% being medical based. They never forget their mission of preserving life and property.

Westland is well-known as the premier destination for shopping and dining in Wayne County with hundreds of shops and restaurants anchored by the Westland Shopping Center, one of the country's original four regional malls.

Infinite opportunities are available in Westland for the recreation aficionado including, more than 40 parks and 1,500 acres of trails, a 9-hole golf course, hockey arena, athletic fields, playscapes, a Farmers and Artisans Market and more. One of Michigan's most environmentally friendly cities, Westland has a progressive curbside recycling program with one of the highest participation rates in the nation and the City is raising the bar for cultural experiences with the placement of public art throughout the City.

The City is served by two public school districts; Wayne-Westland Community Schools serving 12,000 youth was recently named one of the Best School in Michigan by WXYZ-TV and is the proud recipient of 14 Golden Apple and two Michigan Blue Ribbon Exemplary School Awards. Livonia Public Schools, educating nearly 15,000 students, is proud of their MEAP/MME scores that exceed state averages and the District has also earned Golden Apple and Michigan Blue Ribbon Exemplary School Awards.

The City provides competitive incentives for those who are interested in investing in Westland, making it one of the hottest investment markets in the region. Our Fast-Track to Business Team, which consists of key decision makers who work diligently on a development plan will "cut the red tape" and expedite the approval process for new business development.