OLR Report 2014-R-0115 answers the question: Which and how many Connecticut police departments are accredited, and by what entities? It also describes the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA) accreditation program.
As of April 1, 2014, 28 of Connecticut’s 106 police departments are accredited, 12 of which are accredited by both CALEA and the Police Officers Standards and Training Council (POST), Connecticut’s credentialing authority. These 12 are Avon, Coventry, Enfield, Farmington, Glastonbury, Guilford, Norwalk, Simsbury, University of Connecticut, Wethersfield, and the State Police and State Capitol Police. Fourteen departments are accredited by the state only, and two by CALEA only. Twenty-nine other departments have applied for accreditation (see Appendix 1 and Appendix 2 in the report).
CALEA is a private credentialing authority that offers accreditation programs for public safety agencies that volunteer to participate in the process. Its stated purpose is to improve the delivery of law enforcement services by offering a body of standards, developed by law enforcement practitioners, covering a wide range of current law enforcement topics.
The essential elements of the accreditation process are an extensive review of an agency’s policies, procedures, operations, and equipment; an onsite evaluation of the agency; and a decision by CALEA that the agency meets accreditation standards. The standards cover six major law enforcement areas and address almost every facet of policing and police operations, although not all standards apply to all agencies. Agencies must comply with (1) all applicable mandatory standards, which deal with life, health, and safety issues; legal requirements; and essential police practices; and (2) at least 80% of all the other applicable standards, which deal with important or desirable law enforcement practices and activities.
The accreditation cost, which includes initial accreditation, on-site assessment, and annual continuation fees, depends on factors such as the size of the agency and how long it takes to complete the process. The initial agreement between the agency and CALEA is for 36 months, but an agency may complete the process sooner. If the agency does not complete its self-assessment or schedule its on-site assessment within 36 months, it may seek an annual extension at additional cost. The initial accreditation fees vary from $7,125 for agencies with one to 24 full-time employees (including sworn and nonsworn personnel) to $18,600 for agencies with more than 1,000 employees. On-site assessment fees depend on such factors as the cost of lodging and airfare for the assessors, number of assessors involved, and geographical location of the agency being accredited. Annual payments to maintain accreditation range from $3,470 for the smallest agencies to $5,765 for agencies with 1,000 or more employees (see Appendix 3). CALEA accreditation is valid for three years, at which time the agency must be reassessed to maintain its accreditation.
According to the CALEA website, since the CALEA accreditation was developed in 1984, it “has become the primary method for an agency to voluntarily demonstrate their commitment to excellence in law enforcement.” But many states, including Connecticut, have also developed their own programs. The Connecticut program, which is free, is modeled after the CALEA program, according to the POST executive director.
For more information, read the full report.
