CALEA Accreditation
Twenty years ago, the Police Executive Research Forum, the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives, the National Sheriffs' Association, and the International Association of Chiefs of Police joined forces to develop a set of professional standards for all types of law enforcement entities in the United States and other countries nationwide. Collectively known as the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA), the organization has currently developed over 400 state-of-the-art standards and is responsible for administering the accreditation process.
Accreditation provides recognition for a
police department's willingness to better
itself to become the most productive and
most effective law enforcement agency it
can be. Since 1983, CALEA has been enlisting
a growing number of agencies in the voluntary
accreditation process that ensures a standard
of excellence, while helping law enforcement
agencies attain professional status. Today,
out of approximately 17,000 law enforcement
agencies nationwide, only a small percentage
have attained the prestigious accreditation
award, among them, the Cuyahoga Metropolitan
Housing Authority Police Department. Additionally,
CMHA is the only public housing police force
in the nation to achieve reaccreditation.
Reaccreditation is much more than an honor.
It is a testament to the rigorous standards
CMHA expects its police force to meet.
For more information on CALEA, please visit
their website: http://www.calea.org.
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