Special to Iredell Free News

The Statesville Police Department was awarded national accreditation on November 19 by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies Inc. (CALEA) in the Law Enforcement program. The agency was first accredited in 2017.

Following a multi-year self-assessment phase and a meticulous site-based assessment of community engagement, policy, procedures, equipment and facilities by CALEA assessors, Statesville Police Department Chief David Addison and Sergeant Samantha Lindon attended a virtual CALEA conference.

Each agency being reviewed goes before CALEA’s 21-member Board of Commissioners, which reviews all findings and determines the agencies’ accreditation status.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the usual CALEA Conference, where agencies are formally reviewed and awarded in person, was taken online to a virtual format. On Friday, November 19, the CALEA Commission voted to approve reaccreditation of the Statesville Police Department.

CALEA President Anthony Purcell and Executive Director W. Craig Hartley Jr. will formally award Statesville Police Department with accreditation, signifying excellence in public safety and commitment to community. This is the Statesville Police Department’s second award of national accreditation.

The Statesville Police Department now moves into CALEA’s four-year Accreditation cycle that includes four annual remote, web-based file reviews and a site-based assessment in the fourth year.

 “Our CALEA accreditation is very important to our organization and community. It shows our commitment to conforming to and exceeding industry standards especially with community policing. We look forward to continuing our participation in CALEA,” Addison said.

In 1979, the Commission was created through the combined efforts of four major law enforcement organizations; the International Association of Chiefs of Police, National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives, National Sheriffs’ Association and the Police Executive Research Forum.

The purpose of the Commission is to develop standards based on international best practices in public safety, and to establish and administer the accreditation process. The accreditation process is how a public safety agency voluntarily demonstrates how it meets professionally recognized criteria for excellence in management and service delivery.

“This award of accreditation does not come easy,” said CALEA President Anthony Purcell, chief of police for the University of Alabama at Birmingham Police Department. “Agencies must go through a rigorous review and evaluation of their organization and then implement the necessary policy and procedure changes. The process does not stop at that point. By voluntarily choosing to seek CALEA accreditation, the agency commits to an ongoing review of adherence to CALEA’s standards. Each community with CALEA accredited agencies should be feel confident that their public safety organization is going above and beyond and operating under the highest standards in public safety.”

About CALEA

The Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies Inc. 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); and the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF).

The purpose of CALEA’s Accreditation Programs is to improve the delivery of public safety services, primarily by: maintaining a body of standards, developed by public safety practitioners, covering a wide range of up-to-date public safety initiatives; establishing and administering an accreditation process; and recognizing professional excellence.