Moving closer to accreditation
By Rochelle Moore
Published in News on August 23, 2017 5:50 AM
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News-Argus/CASEY MOZINGO
The new Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies Manager for the Goldsboro Police Department Marilyn "Rosie" Wagner poses for a photo outside the department.
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News-Argus/CASEY MOZINGO
Marilyn "Rosie" Wagner listens to Police Chief Mike West as he talks about the decision to add a position for CALEA manager to the department.
Marilyn "Rosie" Wagner has spent years combing crime scenes, meticulously documenting evidence and working to help law enforcement agencies maintain national accreditation standards.
Wagner started working for the Goldsboro Police Department Friday and will lead the agency in its pursuit of accreditation with the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies.
CALEA is a credentialing authority through the joint efforts of several national law enforcement associations and intended to improve the delivery of public safety services by maintaining a body of standards.
Wagner was the agency's top pick out of 28 applicants for the CALEA program manager job, a newly created position in the department. The field of candidates was shortlisted to six, which all participated in an assessment center interview involving presentations, a performance assignment and the traditional question-and-answer process.
GPD Chief Mike West said Wagner's experience, including working through the accreditation process at two law enforcement agencies, led to her being selected for the job.
"I feel like with her experience with evidence and forensics and court and the attention to detail and documenting what you do -- that's going to be a big part of this whole process," West said.
"She's familiar with CALEA, as far as when it pertains to evidence and investigations. With her experience already being familiar with the evidence and the standard, I think, is a plus for her."
Wagner has 11 years of experience working in law enforcement, most recently as a civilian crime scene investigator and specialist with the Durham Police Department. She worked at the department from 2011 until April. Her work also included performing duties related to accreditation compliance.
Wagner also worked from 2006 through 2011 as a senior forensic crime scene technician and forensic DNA technician with the Marion County Sheriff's Office, in Ocala, Florida. Wagner earned a bachelor's degree in biology from Coastal Carolina University, in South Carolina, in 2004, and a master's degree in forensic sciences from National University, in San Diego, in 2006.
Wagner was drawn to the CALEA post due to her past experience in working with accreditation standards.
"Some of my experience in Florida, I worked with CALEA, with their forensic services division and their evidence and property," Wagner said. "At Durham, I didn't work with CALEA, but I worked with our forensic services accreditation, which was separate from the police department.
"I enjoyed the process, creating documents and finding best practices and that's what sparked my interest."
Since her start in Goldsboro, she has been compiling all the department's written directives, including standard operating procedures and general orders.
The department has applied and is waiting for admission into the CALEA program, which involves a three-year process to achieve national accreditation standards.
Once approved, the department will need to maintain its credentials by continuing to show that national standards are consistently being met, Wagner said.
"It's taking all our current policies and general orders and it's reviewing those and then bringing our policies and procedures in line with the national standard," West said.
"We're just trying to go to policies and procedures and best practices that's been accepted nationwide with other accredited agencies."
One of the benefits of being accredited through CALEA is having the ability to access several hundred policies already in place at other CALEA-accredited law enforcement agencies, West said.
Across North Carolina, close to 60 agencies have achieved national accreditation through the program, including the cities of Clayton, Clinton, Durham, Fayetteville, Garner, Greenville, Jacksonville, New Bern, Raleigh and Smithfield, West said.
The Goldsboro City Council decided in February to hire a CALEA manager to help the department achieve national standards.
The program increases accountability, reduces risk and liability, provides a stronger defense against civil liability, includes support from government officials and involves community-oriented policing.
"CALEA supports accountability, it supports best practices and it supports community policing," Wagner said. "It encourages the department to engage in those activities, to engage with the community to have programs that support those community policing values."
The main goals of CALEA are to strengthen crime prevention and control, establish fair and nondiscriminatory practices, improve service, solidify interagency coordination, formalize management procedures and increase community and staff confidence in a law enforcement agency.
The program allows agencies to demonstrate that they meet professional standards in developing written directives, a preparedness program and relationships within the community.
In her new role, Wagner will collaborate with officers during the process and will provide training, as needed.
Wagner will earn an annual salary of $61,486, and the city will pay a $11,500 CALEA enrollment fee and annual continuation fee of about $4,000.
"If you've got an agency that's in your community and it's accredited, they're up to a national standard, I think it always makes the public feel better about you," West said. "Not that I say that we're not professionals, but I guess in their eyes it makes us probably be considered a little bit more of a professional agency.
"I'm excited about it," West said. "I'm happy to have Rosie on board, and I see good things moving forward."