What Is CALEA?
The Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) is a credentialing authority (accreditation), based in the United States, whose primary mission is to accredit public safety agencies, namely law enforcement agencies, training academies, communications centers, and campus public safety agencies. The primary purpose of the commission is to improve law enforcement service by creating a national body of standards developed by law enforcement professionals.
The accreditation unit drafts policy at the direction of the Sheriff and in compliance with the Commission on the Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA). These policies and procedures are the foundation of a modern, professional law enforcement agency and are also the foundation of being accredited.
View our Policies and Procedures by CLICKING HERE.
LEAVE US YOUR FEEDBACK TODAY BY SCANNING THE QR CODE OR CLICKING THE BANNER BELOW
This accreditation program provides public safety agencies an opportunity to voluntarily demonstrate that they meet an established set of professional standards which:
- Require an agency to develop a comprehensive, well thought out, uniform set of written directives. This is one of the most successful methods for reaching administrative and operational goals, while also providing direction to personnel.
- Provide the necessary reports and analyses a CEO needs to make fact-based, informed management decisions.
- Require a preparedness program be put in place-so an agency is ready to address natural or man-made critical incidents.
- Are a means for developing or improving upon an agency’s relationship with the community.
- Strengthen an agency’s accountability, both within the agency and the community, through a continuum of standards that clearly define authority, performance and responsibilities.
- Can limit an agency’s liability and risk exposure because it demonstrates that internationally recognized standards for law enforcement have been met, as verified by a team of independent outside CALEA-trained assessors.
- Facilitates an agency’s pursuit of professional excellence.
In fact, the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office is one of 5% of law enforcement agencies nationwide to achieve CALEA accreditation.
The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office participates in The Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) along with Law Enforcement and Communications accreditation programs. The accreditation process intends to provide the participating agency with information to support continuous improvement and foster the pursuit of professional excellence. As a part of the programs’ process, we provide an opportunity for public feedback via the CALEA Public Comment Portal.
The purpose of this public portal is to receive comments regarding our compliance with CALEA standards, engagement in the community, delivery of public safety services, and overall candidacy for accredited status. These comments can be in the form of commendations or concerns. To access the portal, please click the link: https://cimrs2.calea.org/53
It is essential to know that CALEA is not an investigatory body; subsequently, the public portal should not be used to submit internal affairs complaints needing investigation. Additionally, there will be no response other than acknowledgment to submissions; however, the information will be considered in context to its relevancy to compliance with standards and the tenets of CALEA Accreditation.