On Saturday, March 22, 2014, the Burlington Police Department was reaccredited with Excellence by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA). The Burlington Police Department has been CALEA accredited since 1989 and this marks the Department’s 7th reaccreditation and its 8th accreditation cycle.
CALEA is made up of subject matter experts who establish best practice standards for law enforcement agencies across America, Canada and elsewhere around the globe. The Accreditation program requires CALEA assessors to evaluate an agency’s performance in meeting or exceeding established benchmarks. For this three-year cycle, the CALEA Assessors where in Burlington December 1-3, 2013 and filed their final report with the full Commission. During their visit, the assessors reviewed compliance data, met with over half of the agency personnel, fielded phone calls from the public, and hosted a public input session attended by 30 or more residents and business professionals. More information on CALEA’s Law Enforcement Accreditation program can be found here: http://www.calea.org/content/law-enforcement-accreditation
The Excellence Award is a highly regarded distinction, awarded for the effective use of accreditation as a model for delivery of enhanced public safety services and professionalism in management. Of all law enforcement agencies in the United States, approximately 1% are capable of achieving the Excellence Award.
Of this distinction, Chief Jeffrey Smythe said, “This is a huge testament to the dedication and professionalism of our staff.” Adding that, “we will not be resting on our laurels and will continue on the path of excellence as we move forward.”
The Burlington Police Department is currently in compliance with 100% of all mandatory and non-mandatory accreditation standards. This means that the Burlington Police Department complies with every standard and meets every professional best practice available to any law enforcement agency in the country, without regard to agency size.
The Burlington Police Department submits to CALEA for reaccreditation every three years. Creation of and compliance with written directives is an ongoing process managed by the Department’s executive team as the Department continues to strive to be a progressive and professional agency.