Accreditation in the context of law enforcement is the status awarded to an agency which has voluntarily submitted to meet a third-party, defined set of professional standards. Those standards may require the following: A comprehensive written directive system that clearly define authority, performance, and responsibilities of the agency and its employees Reports and analyses to make fact-based and informed management decisions Preparedness to address natural or man-made critical incidents Community relationship-building to improve legitimacy of policing Independent review by subject matter experts Continuous pursuit of excellence through external assessment measures

Accreditation encourages excellence while providing tangible and measurable results in achieving that goal. By pursuing accreditation on a state or national level, you can expect many benefits including: 1. Increased support from municipal and government officials. By conforming to objective standards, an accredited agency demonstrates their commitment to excellence, resource management, and service delivery. In turn, this inspires the confidence of government authorities in the agency's ability to efficiently and effectively serve the community. 2. Improved legitimacy in the community.Accreditation programs create opportunities for law enforcement and private citizens to work together to prevent and control challenges in the community and improve dialogue. 3. Reduction in risk, liability, and costs. Accredited agencies may see a decline in legal actions against them and are better able to defend themselves against civil lawsuits if they do arise. Many agencies also report lower costs for liability insurance or even reimbursement of the fees associated with accreditation. 4. Accountability.Accreditation standards make up a proven system that supports high-level decision making, resource allocation, and professional policing.

Accreditation should be an asset to an agency, not a burden. BlueIQ consultants help streamline processes within existing accreditation frameworks to reduce workload and improve the effectiveness of an agency's accreditation program. Digital solutions, workflow management, as well as remote support can transform a cumbersome process into a low-effort, high-yield program.

BlueIQ will partner with your agency in launching a new accreditation program or supporting and improving your existing accreditation process. If your agency is interested in becoming accredited, BlueIQ consultants will assist you every step of the way. From determining which accreditation programs meet the needs of your agency, to identifying challenges and gaps, conducting preliminary evaluations and mock assessments, our consultants are experienced and highly skilled. Accreditation is a long term project and we support agencies on a continuing basis. Once a department acheives accredited status, it takes attention and skill to maintain that status - but it should not take away from valuable resources elsewhere. BlueIQ consultants provide remote support, digital mock assessments, on-site training events, hands-on tutoring, process improvement, and much more to ensure that our client agencies are able to retain the status they've worked hard to achieve. Let us know how we can help your Accreditation program today.