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Columbia Police Department Receives National CALEA Accreditation

By November 18, 2017Press Releases

The Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA®) has awarded the Columbia Police Department with an Advanced Law Enforcement Accreditation. The announcement was made this evening at the national CALEA Conference in Jacksonville, Florida, which was attended by Chief Skip Holbrook, Columbia City Manager Teresa Wilson and staff members of the department’s accreditation team.

This achievement signifies CPD’s commitment to professional excellence. CALEA accreditation is only awarded after an extensive, comprehensive and voluntary process focusing on the areas of policy, procedure, operations and management.

To achieve this accreditation, the Columbia Police Department had to demonstrate compliance with approximately 460 national standards. CALEA’s Standards for Law Enforcement Agencies and accreditation programs are acknowledged as benchmarks by law enforcement executives and major law enforcement associations.

Chief Holbrook says, “Today is a watershed moment for the Columbia Police Department. Due to our steadfast commitment to policing excellence and delivering public safety services with the utmost professionalism, the men and women of the Department have worked tirelessly throughout this arduous process to become a nationally accredited law enforcement agency. Without their exceptional efforts we would not have reached this pinnacle, and accomplished a goal which we set our sights on more than three years ago when I became Chief.”

City Manager Teresa Wilson says, “When hired, Chief Holbrook discussed with me his desire to seek national accreditation for the Columbia Police Department and re-commit the department to the standards it had historically upheld. Today is a proud moment for me, City Council and our entire community as we see the Chief and his team achieve the goal they set. National accreditation is a tremendous accomplishment that represents standards met but also holds us to benchmarks of ongoing achievement. These benchmarks provide the citizens of Columbia a measure of accountability in which they can trust that the sacrificial work of our officers is being held to the highest possible standards.”

The CALEA Accreditation Assessment Team, comprised of law enforcement practitioners from out-of-state agencies, conducted on-site inspections of the Department’s physical facilities, reviewed written policies and procedures, and met with officers and community members. CALEA assessors compiled their findings into a final report, which was presented to the full CALEA Commission for review during the CALEA Conference in Jacksonville, Florida.

About CALEA:
The Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc., (CALEA®) 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)
• 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.

Specifically, CALEA’s goals are to: strengthen crime prevention and control capabilities; formalize essential management procedures; establish fair and nondiscriminatory personnel practices; improve service delivery; solidify interagency cooperation and coordination; and increase community and staff confidence in the agency.

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