BART seeks accreditation for police department

Bay Area Rapid Transit's (BART) police department is undergoing a rigorous process to become one of the select California agencies to earn a Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies Inc. (CALEA) designation, BART announced earlier this week.

Starting Jan. 26, CALEA officials will examine all aspects of the department's policy and procedures, management, operations and support services.

"Verification … that the department meets the commission's state-of-the-art standards is part of a voluntary process to gain accreditation," said BART Police Chief Carlos Rojas in a press release. "It's a highly prized recognition of public safety professional excellence."

As part of the CALEA assessment, agency personnel and community members can provide comments at a public information session to be held Jan. 29. Members of the public also can share comments by phone.