The Glendale Heights Police Department is being inspected by national law-enforcement experts this week to see if it should be awarded national accreditation.

And so far, it appears to be passing the test.

A team of assessors from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies Inc. arrived Saturday, Aug. 23 to examine the Police Department’s policies and procedures, management, operations and support services.

Glendale Heights police Sgt. Larry Pincsak said the assessment team has spent the week reviewing all operations of the department, including arrest and search procedures, training, hiring of officers, and records and evidence storage.

“It’s really been a thorough process, and I believe it’s been going well,” Pincsak said.

Nearly two dozen people showed up at Village Hall on Monday night to support the department at a public hearing. Residents shared with the assessment team their experiences with the police.

CALEA assessment leader Capt. Bill Bleyle said the hearing gave residents a chance to share their stories, and to tell the team why the department should be accredited, an honor that only 3 percent of departments nationwide have received.

“I was really impressed with the turnout; usually we don’t get this kind of crowd,” Bleyle said. “It really shows that the community does care about their police here, and that is good to see.”

Victoria Tabbert, superintendent of Queen Bee School District 16, told the CALEA team the Police Department has had a long-standing relationship with the district. Most recently, police aided the district in developing a crisis-management plan.

“This department has been a godsend to us,” Tabbert said.

Glendale Heights Police Chief Mike Marron said to receive accreditation status, the department must comply with more than 400 national standards.