In 2019, the Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office committed to a multi-year process to seek accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA). On April 02, 2022, we received our Initial Accreditation. This accreditation is considered the gold standard in law enforcement and focuses on standards that provide best practices related to life, health, and safety procedures for law enforcement agencies. These standards are considered foundational for contemporary law enforcement agencies.
CALEA’s primary purpose is to improve public safety service delivery by maintaining a comprehensive body of law enforcement standards, establishing and administering an accreditation process, and recognizing professional excellence. The CALEA accreditation program allows law enforcement agencies to demonstrate compliance with an established set of professional standards voluntarily and includes an external, objective evaluation of department operations. With over 800 participating agencies, CALEA benefits from the collective experience of thousands of law enforcement managers and executives nationwide and acts as a blueprint for better law enforcement institutions that are efficient, well-equipped, and responsive to the communities they serve. Additional information on CALEA and the accreditation process, including the list of standards, is available on CALEA’s website at www.calea.org.
As part of the process, the Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office invites the public to comment directly to CALEA by using CALEA’s Public Access Portal. The purpose of this public portal is to receive comments regarding an agency’s compliance with CALEA standards, engagement in the service community, delivery of public safety services, and overall candidacy for accredited status. These comments can be in the form of comments, commendations, or concerns. The overall intent of the accreditation process is to provide the participating agency with information to support continuous improvement and foster the pursuit of professional excellence.
The Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office strives to be a nationally recognized public safety organization dedicated to deliberate service to our community. To have a highly skilled, well trained, and educated Sheriff’s Office that is progressive, service oriented and purpose driven to influence change by being “The Difference.”. Your feedback is greatly appreciated.
To provide feedback directly to CALEA about the Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office, click HERE