The Commission on Accrediation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA)
The Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA®), was created in 1979 as a credentialing authority through the joint efforts of law enforcement’s major executive associations:
- International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP)
- National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE)
- National Sheriffs' Association (NSA)
- Police Executive Research Forum (PERF)
The CALEA Law Enforcement Accreditation Program was the first credentialing program established by CALEA after its founding. It was originally developed to address what was seen as a need to enhance law enforcement as a profession and to improve law enforcement. That same mission continues today. The program is to open all types of law enforcement agencies, both nationally and on an international basis. It provides a process to systematically conduct an internal review and assessment of the agencies' policies and procedures, and make adjustments wherever necessary to meet a body of internationally accepted standards.
CALEA Accreditation is a powerful example of a directed initiative to promote the adherence to the constitution and fairness in the application of justice. It includes: employee recruitment and selection, management of internal and criminal investigations, promotion, evidence management, preparation for unusual occurrences, victim & witness support, engagement with at-risk and juvenile populations, contract and administrative management, use of authority and force, and all aspects of operational activities. It is an imperfect system; however, it serves an important role in not only the perspective of the public about the police, but also the police perspective about their responsibilities. Additionally, it works to identify those not contributing positively to the mission, purpose and values of the organization and also supports staff with relevant training, equipment, policy and leadership.
Since the first CALEA Accreditation Award was granted in 1984, the program has become the primary method for an agency to voluntarily demonstrate their commitment to excellence in law enforcement. The standards upon which the Law Enforcement Accreditation Program is based reflect the current thinking and experience of law enforcement practitioners and researchers. Major law enforcement associations, as well as law enforcement executives internationally, acknowledge CALEA's Standards for Law Enforcement Agencies and its Accreditation Program as benchmarks for today's law enforcement agency.
The Indian River County Sheriff's Office was the first law enforcement agency on the Treasure Coast to become accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies. Of the nation’s law enforcement officers, only between 25% and 30% are employed by agencies engaged in the CALEA® Accreditation process.
Since entering the process in 1989, the Indian River County Sheriff's Office has been evaluated by assessors from the Commission and received accredited recognition in: 1991, 1996, 1999, 2002, 2005, 2008, 2011, 2013 and 2016.
Since the 2016 award, CALEA has shifted their compliance focus further by enhancing the compliance to annual reviews of all CALEA agencies. The Indian River County Sheriff's Office has completed annual reviews in 2017, 2018, 2019 with the next CALEA on-site assessment scheduled for November 2020.
You can check the IRCSO Accreditation Status at the CALEA website.
Commission for Florida Law Enforcement Accreditation, INC. (CFA) – Excelsior Status
The Florida Sheriff's Association and the Florida Chief’s Association created a voluntary law enforcement accreditation program. The Florida Police Chief’s Association endorses the standards developed by the Commission for Florida Law Enforcement Accreditation, Inc. with the benefits of Florida law enforcement accreditation are: provides a professional review of agency operations, personnel practices and training policies by an outside entity; ensures policies and procedures are documented in writing and defendable; increases community support through transparency of operations; assurance agency personnel are trained and functioning according to agency policies and procedures; reinforces the agency's ability to maintain the highest standards of professional law enforcement service; strengthens the agency's defense against lawsuits and complaints; and establishes a framework of systems that ensures a quality work environment for well-trained professionals that aids in retaining and recruiting qualified personnel.
The Indian River County Sheriff's Office was first accredited through CFA in 2004 and then reaccredited in 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016 and in 2019 where the agency achieved Excelsior Status. The next CFA accreditation on-site assessment is scheduled for November 2021.
The Excelsior Recognition program became the highest level of achievement in Florida accreditation a criminal justice agency can receive. An important focus of this initiative was to develop a non-subjective recognition program that recognizes agencies with criteria based upon two key benchmarks.
- Commitment to Accreditation - Candidate agencies shall have been awarded five successful reaccreditation cycles by the Commission.
- Excellence in Accreditation - A candidate agency’s reaccreditation interval shall only be credited toward this new recognition status if conditions were not assessed by the Commission.
Today, the Excelsior Recognition program recognizes some of the finest criminal justice agencies in the State of Florida, and a demonstrated level of commitment to the Florida Accreditation process unparalleled in the criminal justice profession.
The agency is compelled to operate within specific guidelines and is accountable to the Commission. The agency must stay in compliance with the standards set forth by the Commission in order to retain its accreditation.
You can check the IRCSO Accreditation Status at the CFA website.
The Florida Corrections Accreditation Commission (FCAC)
The Florida Corrections Accreditation program offers the opportunity to evaluate your facility's operations against standards developed by the Florida Corrections Accreditation Commission. This process will allow administrative staff to remedy deficiencies and upgrade the quality of correctional programs and services.
The benefits from such a process include:
- Improved management;
- Strengthens the facility's defense against lawsuits and complaints;
- Increased accountability;
- Enhanced public credibility for administrative and line staff;
- A safer and more humane environment for personnel and inmates;
- Potential reduction in liability through adoption of sound operating practices;
- Demonstration of a “good faith” effort to improve conditions of confinement.
Standards are specific to the Florida Corrections profession and are compatible with Florida law. The overall purpose of FCAC is to improve the delivery of correctional services. All aspects of Correctional operations are addressed through the standards, including: Admission, Classification, Housing, Sanitation, Food Service, Personnel Issues, Fiscal Activities, Security, Training and Medical.
The Indian River County Sheriff's Office Corrections facility received its initial accreditation award by the Florida Corrections Accreditation Commission, Inc. in 2010 and was reaccredited in 2013, 2016, and 2019. The next FCAC accreditation on-site assessment is scheduled for November 2021.
The agency is compelled to operate within specific guidelines and is accountable to the Commission. The agency must stay in compliance with the standards set forth by the Commission in order to retain its accreditation.
You can check the IRCSO Accreditation Status at the FCAC website.
Florida Police Accreditation Coalition, INC. (FLA-PAC)
The Indian River County Sheriff's Office is a member of FLA-PAC. The FLA-PAC is a not-for-profit corporation formed in 1989, under the laws of the State of Florida, for the purpose of providing member agencies a network of law enforcement professionals. The organization provides all members; current and relative information pertaining to national and state accreditation; training in standard compliance; and accessibility to model policies and written directives pertinent to law enforcement activities.
Further information can be found at https://www.fla-pac.org/ .
Public Safety Communications Accreditation (CALEA)
The Public Safety Communications Accreditation Program was developed in 1999 by CALEA with the participation and technical support of the Association of Public Safety Communications Officials International, Inc. (APCO International®). This accreditation program allows stand-alone communications centers or communications departments within other public safety organizations such as law enforcement, fire, or emergency medical service (EMS) agencies to voluntarily participate in a credentialing program that promotes public safety communications services and recognizes professional excellence.
This program requires organizations to collect and analyze important data for the purpose of making sound operational and administrative business decisions, creating leadership and practitioner-accountability. In addition, the focus is on quality assurance, interoperability, emerging technologies, risk analysis, asset security, resources access, contemporary training, and a range of other operational functions.
The Indian River County Sheriff's Office received its Public Safety Communications initial accreditation award by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies in 2015. Since entering the process in 2013, the Sheriff’s Office Public Safety Dispatch Section has been evaluated by assessors from the Commission and received accredited recognition in 2015 and in 2018. The Indian River County Sheriff's Office has completed annual reviews in 2019 and 2020 with the next CALEA on-site assessment scheduled for Spring 2022.
You can check the IRCSO Accreditation Status at the CALEA website.