Accreditation can be a huge task, and is often voluntary - so why would a law enforcement agency decide to pursue such a goal?

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Based on the idea of community-oriented, professional police forces, accreditation creates a collaborative environment where citizens and police officers can work together to defeat and prevent some of the many challenges facing law enforcement professionals today.

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Accredited agencies receive the confidence of communities and government officials, reduce liability and risk in civil litigation and foster a working environment of accountability by following the best practices in the industry.

 

What is involved?

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Though becoming accredited can be a long, complex road, the components are very simple. 

 

First, an agency will need to identify the accrediting body who's standards they will be meeting. For national accreditation, read more about the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) here. Some states offer accreditation programs or professional standard certifications independent from CALEA. Check here to see the programs and resources in your state. Each body may have various requirements for application, timelines for reaccreditation and policies for assessments.

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The professional standards set forth by the accrediting body establish the requirements of the program. Receiving accredited status depends on meeting all or some of those requirements. CALEA, for example, grants status in tiers depending on what level is pursued.

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Next, an agency must prove they are in compliance with the accreditation standards set forth. This is where accreditation files come into play. For each standard, a corresponding accreditation file must be built to demonstrate proof of compliance. The type of proof will depend on the nature of the standard.

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Finally, an on-site evaluation is completed by assessors granted such authority by the accrediting body. After a thorough review of the accreditation files reveals the agency to be in compliance, accredited status is conferred on the agency.

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What can make the process easier?

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Technology: Our partners in the software industry design cutting-edge solutions that improve workflow and streamline the file-building process.

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Experience: BlueIQ Law Enforcement Consultants have decades of experience on both sides- as agency managers seeking accreditation as well as assessors on behalf of CALEA or State commissions. Seeking accreditation is the result of what is often years of work.

 

Without the experience to identify gaps or errors in their accreditation files, an agency risks wasting the monumental amount of effort it has taken to get to that point.

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