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As United States Attorney General John Ashcroft stated at our July 2001 Conference in St. Louis, Missouri, “Standards Build Trust.” While the Commissioners Honor Roll of agencies accredited or recognized continues to grow, we in the public safety arena must also continue to “build trust” by striving for excellence in what we do.
The Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc, has come a long way since its inception in 1979. Conceived by grants from the Law Enforcement Assistance Administration and the National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration, the four leading law enforcement executive organizations: International Association of Chiefs of Police, National Sheriffs’ Association, National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives, and Police Executive Research Forum united to develop an accreditation process that provides agencies an opportunity to voluntarily demonstrate that they meet an established set of professional standards. The four associations incorporated the Commission as an independent, nonprofit (501[c] 3) corporation. Sheriff Richard Wille of Palm Beach County, Florida was named the first Commission Chair, and James V. Cotter, from the FBI Training Academy, was then appointed CALEA’s first Executive Director.
Since then, some significant milestones have occurred. In 1983, the 1st Edition of the Standards for Law Enforcement Agencies (SLEA) was approved and the Commission was ready to begin receiving applications for its new, innovative program. By May 1984, the Commission accredited its first agency, the Mount Dora (FL) Police Department. [Today there are almost 560 agencies with law enforcement accreditation awards.]
In 1985, Commission Chair Kenneth H. Medeiros was named CALEA’s second Executive Director, and my personal association with CALEA began when my agency, the Greensboro (NC) Police Department, applied to begin the accreditation program. I later was accepted as a CALEA Assessor and had the privilege to participate in several on-site assessments, and in 1986, my agency was honored to become the 33rd CALEA Accredited law enforcement agency.
In 1989, CALEA celebrated its 10th anniversary, and the Tempe (AZ) Police Department was accredited as the 100th CALEA Accredited agency. Just two years later, the 200th agency was accredited, George Mason University Police Department, located in Fairfax, Virginia. The following year the CALEA family was saddened by the sudden death of Ken Medeiros, and M. Wayne Huggins was hired as the third Executive Director for CALEA.
In 1993, the CALEA Board made some bold and innovative changes to the accreditation process that included reducing accreditation and reaccreditation award status from five to three years; decreasing reaccreditation fees; and introducing the CALEA Certification Component Program for Communications, Training, Internal Affairs, and Court Security. In 1994, a pared-down 3rd Edition of the SLEA was released (the total number of standards was reduced by 50% - 436 standards, from 924); the 300th agency was accredited; and Richard F. (Dick) Kitterman, Jr. became the fourth Executive Director.
In 1996, Miramar (FL) Police Department became the 400th agency accredited, and CALEA and the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials International (APCO®) combined resources to develop a program specifically for communication centers. Two years later, the Public Safety Communications Accreditation Program (PSCAP) was launched; the 500th agency was accredited, the Marietta (GA) Police Department; and in 1999, the Northwest Bergen Central Dispatch, in Ridgewood, New Jersey became the 1st agency to be PSCAP accredited. [So far, 32 agencies have been awarded communications accreditation and 19 more are in self-assessment.]
That same year, the Commission’s 20th anniversary, the State Accreditation Programs Committee, chaired by Commissioner Stephen Monier, was formed; Chief William Miller of the Elgin (IL) Police Department was named Commission Chair; and I became CALEA’s fifth Executive Director. During the previous nine years, I sat on the Commission Board of Directors, having been appointed in 1990, and served as the President/Chair from 1996 to 1998.
From the results of the State Accreditation Program Committee work, the Commission introduced two new groundbreaking programs in 2000: the CALEA Recognition Program, designed for smaller-sized agencies with limited resources, and the CALEA Alliance Program. The Alliance Program allows the Commission the ability to establish a formal relationship with viable existing local and state/provincial accreditation organizations. The Alliance Partner administers the CALEA Recognition Program, including assessments and compliance monitoring, in conjunction with their own local program. [To date, 15 agencies have achieved CALEA Recognition; five state programs have joined the CALEA Alliance Program; and 61 agencies have been awarded CALEA Recognition through the Alliance Programs.]
The Omaha (NE) Police Department became the 600th agency to be accredited in 2001. The next year, Chief James O’Dell of the Kettering (OH) Police Department was elected Commission Chair, and the Commission adopted the Public Safety Training Academy Accreditation (PSTAA) Program. [To date, four Training Academy Accreditation awards have been granted, with the Kentucky Department of Criminal Justice Training achieving the first award in March 2003. Ten additional academies are currently in the process.]
The Commission approved the creation of the CALEA Agency Support Fund (CASF) in 2003. The purpose of CASF is to award grants to smaller agencies in law enforcement, communications, and training academies that are seeking initial accreditation. In early 2004, the Commission awarded the first, of what I’m sure will be many, CASF grants to the Pismo Beach (CA) Police Department and the Millsboro (DE) Police Department.
I have been associated with CALEA during most of its existence, and have observed all the ups and downs, as it has grown to what it is now - a world leader in the advancement of public safety professionalism. Today, there are nearly 700 agencies accredited or recognized in one of the Commission’s various programs, with several hundred others working toward their first award.
It has been an honor to serve you as Executive Director of the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies for almost six years. I would also like to sincerely thank each and everyone that has played a part in bringing professional standards and CALEA to the forefront in the world of public safety. We hope to see you in Austin, Texas for our 25th Anniversary Celebration. Plans are in place to make this conference the best ever. The Commission has come a long way in 25 years, but I believe the best is still to come!
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