Accreditation Process

In 1979, the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) was formed through the combined efforts of 4 major law enforcement organizations:


  • The International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP),
  • The National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE)
  • The National Sheriff's Association (NSA)
  • The Police Executive Research Forum (PERF)
The Commission on Law Enforcement Accredidation seal.
Officers with Alderman at event.

There are well over 600 agencies nationwide that are accredited. There are 37 agencies in Maryland that are either accredited or are in the process of becoming accredited and the list is growing.

Standards

There are 459 standards which are established for law enforcement agencies to cover 6 basic law enforcement subjects which include, but are not limited to:

  • law enforcement operations
  • operational support
  • organization, management and administration
  • personnel administration
  • traffic enforcement

Accreditation standards cover nationally accepted practices and procedures.

Download and read the report:

  1. Annapolis Police Department's --Law Enforcement Accreditation Report, January 19, 2021

Accreditation: A Commitment to Excellence

The Annapolis Police Department was awarded full accredited status in March 2004 and has maintained this accreditation to date. The Department is required to maintain this accreditation and goes through a reaccreditation process on a regular basis. Accredited status indicates that the Department meets and in some cases exceeds nationally accepted standards. Accreditation builds on what the Department already had in place and recognizes the professionalism of our officers and civilian employees. Our employees are committed to maintaining the professionalism of the department and are dedicated to serving the community. "Accreditation: A Commitment to Excellence."