Have some words for Tacoma police? Tell this agency holding them to high standards
Ever had a bad experience with the Tacoma Police Department? Maybe you’re not satisfied with their community engagement efforts, feel their policies fall short of serving the city or just see room for improvement. Maybe you had a good interaction and want someone to know.
A comment portal operated by a nationally-recognized law enforcement accreditation agency has been open for the last year to take public feedback, the police department said in a news release issued Thursday. Comments can include praise or criticism, and the accrediting agency will use the data to inform the department’s efforts to improve.
“The Tacoma Police Department is committed to making Tacoma the safest city in the country by fostering collaboration with the community, enforcing laws impartially, maintaining peace and order in neighborhoods, and upholding Constitutional rights,” the police department said in a written statement.
The accrediting agency is the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA). It was created in 1979 by a grant from the Department of Justice to four major law enforcement member associations. As an accredited agency, the Tacoma Police Department undergoes regular assessments of its policies, procedures, management, operations and support services to uphold high standards of contemporary law enforcement.
Police said the portal is primarily meant for feedback on TPD’s adherence to CALEA standards, engagement with the community, provision of public safety services and overall eligibility for accredited status.
Data from submitted comments are not shared with TPD, police spokesperson and officer Shelbie Boyd said. Representatives from CALEA review the police department’s policies remotely every two years, she said, and an in-person review is conducted every three years, including in 2024.
Commenters will not receive any kind of response from CALEA beyond an acknowledgment of a submission. If a person has a complaint that necessitates investigation, they can be made by emailing TPD’s Internal Affairs Division, TPD-IA@CityofTacoma.org, by calling the 24-hour recorded line at 253-591-5283, or by mail. More information is on the city’s website.
Only eight law enforcement agencies in Washington state are accredited by CALEA, according to its database, and Tacoma has the only nationally-accredited police department in Pierce County. According to the Washington State Patrol, CALEA requires police agencies to comply with 459 standards.
For comparison, the state-level accreditor, the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs, has fewer than 150 standards for accredited agencies, its website states. The program is not meant to compete or conflict with CALEA. Tacoma police are not accredited by the state-level accreditor.
Access to the portal is on the City of Tacoma website or through CALEA at http://cimrs2.calea.org/405.
