CALEA Report
A short history of the Commission on Accredited Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA): CALEA was created in 1979 as the first independent law enforcement credentialing authority through the collaborative efforts of law enforcement's major executive associations, International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE), National Sheriff’s Association (NSA), and the Police executive Research Forum (PERF). CALEA is the original and most widely recognized accrediting body in Public Safety. CALEA is a private, not-for-profit 501 (c) (3) entity, and is not part of or obligated to any governmental body (CALEA, 2010).
According to CALEA, they exist to improve the delivery of public …show more content…
Smaller departments may not have the necessary resources to meet all the requirements;
4. What’s in it for me? This question is most likely the main detractor. What is in it for an agency, a piece of paper and subjective “industry standard” compliance? According to Doerner (2012), less than 3% of the nation’s police agencies are accredited, thus provoking the question – “What is in it for me?” There is the perception that there is no real tangible or quantifiable reason to be accredited.
In conclusion, the accreditation process, for agencies that can afford it and have the staff to participate, adds to the overall perception of professionalism. Having written directives in place to guide the department and address issues that arise is a part of being a professional organization. Without them, the agency would be ad-hoc and setting itself up for failure on many different levels ranging from public distrust to legal issues. On the obverse side of the coin, being accredited does not change leadership or culture. If a department has a bad culture or poor leadership, all the directives in the world will not change the reality of the policing practices and how the department treats its community. Proper and competent leadership can and does overcome many obstacles and barriers. Thus, being accredited is akin to a nice façade, looks good on the outside, but if the structure (leadership) is weak, it does not change anything, it is still weak and prone to
According to CALEA, they exist to improve the delivery of public …show more content…
Smaller departments may not have the necessary resources to meet all the requirements;
4. What’s in it for me? This question is most likely the main detractor. What is in it for an agency, a piece of paper and subjective “industry standard” compliance? According to Doerner (2012), less than 3% of the nation’s police agencies are accredited, thus provoking the question – “What is in it for me?” There is the perception that there is no real tangible or quantifiable reason to be accredited.
In conclusion, the accreditation process, for agencies that can afford it and have the staff to participate, adds to the overall perception of professionalism. Having written directives in place to guide the department and address issues that arise is a part of being a professional organization. Without them, the agency would be ad-hoc and setting itself up for failure on many different levels ranging from public distrust to legal issues. On the obverse side of the coin, being accredited does not change leadership or culture. If a department has a bad culture or poor leadership, all the directives in the world will not change the reality of the policing practices and how the department treats its community. Proper and competent leadership can and does overcome many obstacles and barriers. Thus, being accredited is akin to a nice façade, looks good on the outside, but if the structure (leadership) is weak, it does not change anything, it is still weak and prone to