Accreditation Training
Accreditation Manager Eric Watters
Miramar Police Department
Who Are We Accredited By?
• Commission on Accreditation for Law
Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA®)
• Initial accreditation 1996
• Last on-site assessment April 2005
• Next on-site assessment August 2008
• Commission for Florida Law Enforcement
Accreditation (CFA)
• Initial accreditation 1998
• Last on-site assessment November 2007
• Next on-site assessment November 2010
The History of CALEA
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Created in 1979 through the combined
efforts of:
1. International Association of Chief’s of Police
(IACP)
2. National Organization of Black Law
Enforcement Executives (NOBLE)
3. National Sheriff’s Association (NSA)
4. Police Executive Research Forum (PERF)
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Funded through accreditation fees
The History of CFA
• In 1993, Florida Statute 943.125 directed
that the Florida Sheriffs Association and the
Florida Police Chiefs Association create a
voluntary law enforcement accreditation
program.
• CFA is a not-for-profit organization
• Day-to-day operations are run by private staff
• The Commission is comprised of sheriff’s , chief’s
of police, representatives from local government,
and the judiciary.
CALEA Standards
The standards cover (in-part):
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L.E. Role, Responsibilities & Relationships
Organization, Management, & Administration
The Personnel Structure
The Personnel Process
Law Enforcement Operations
Operations Support
Traffic Operations
Auxiliary & Technical Services
CFA Standards
The standards cover (in-part):
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Authority
Training
Selection
Civilian Promotion
Performance Evaluations
Patrol
Investigations
Traffic and Direction Control
Auxiliary Members
Benefits for the Agency
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Greater accountability within the agency
Reduced risk and liability exposure
Stronger defense against civil lawsuits
Assessment of agency readiness and status
Process for identifying redundancies
Solicits staunch support from government
officials
• Increased community advocacy
Benefits for Agency Members
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Clearly defined lines of authority
Consistency in operational procedures
“Best Practice” standards in public service
Ongoing awareness of advancements in the
profession
• Defense against litigation
The Accreditation Process
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Voluntary
Standards offer guidance, not mandates
Must be reaccredited every three years
Proof of compliance with the standards is
determined by an assessment team which
conducts an on-site review of the agency's
policies, procedures, and practices
• Assessors are all trained law enforcement
practitioners
Compliance Requirements
• CALEA
• 459 total standards
• 111 Other than mandatory standards
• Must show compliance with 80%
• 348 Mandatory standards
• Must show compliance with 100%
• Except Not applicable standards
• By function or by size
Compliance Requirements
(cont’d)
• CFA
• 81 Comparative Compliance standards
• 29 Other than mandatory standards
• Must comply with 80%
• 52 Mandatory standards
• Must show 100% compliance
• Except Not Applicable standards
How Do We Prove Compliance?
• Written documentation
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Reports
Memoranda
Analyses and audits
Publications
Training materials and files, etc.
• Interviews
• Agency and non-agency personnel
• Public Hearing and call-in sessions, etc.
• Observations
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Photographs
Ride alongs
Static displays and tours
Roll call attendance, etc.
On-site Assessment
• CALEA
• Three days
• Three Assessors
• All from out-of-state
• CFA
• One day
• Two Assessors
• From other regions in the state
On-site Assessment Schedule
• Entrance interview
• With Chief, Command Staff, and anyone else the
Chief wants
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File Review
Phone in session
Staff interviews
Community meeting
Exit interview
• All personnel are invited to attend
Important things to Remember
About the On-site
• Assessors will choose random people to do ridealongs with and random times in which to do them
• They have been known to request ride-alongs the night
before the assessment is scheduled to begin
• The Assessors will wander the halls and out-lying
facilities, and may come to your area to inspect it or
look for additional information
• Keep yourself, your office, and your vehicles clean and
organized
• Be prepared to answer questions and give additional
“paper” proofs (e.g., access to files)
• Remember, I don’t know is an acceptable answer,
but find out the answer and get back to them with
it or direct them to who would have the answer
Accreditation Training
Questions???