The California Highway Patrol learned Saturday that its academy in West Sacramento is the first state police training academy in the nation to be accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies Inc., or CALEA.
In addition, the CHP as a department was reaccredited for another three years.
“This accreditation demonstrates the CHP’s leadership and professionalism – qualities that are instilled in every officer beginning at the academy and reinforced throughout their career,” said CHP Commissioner Joe Farrow. “I thank the members of CALEA for reaffirming the department’s ongoing efforts to provide the people of California the best in safety, service and security.”
CALEA announced the accreditations Saturday during its conference in Winston-Salem, N.C.
The announcement of the academy’s accreditation culminates a two-year pursuit for the highly prized recognition of superior public safety training services and recognized professional excellence.
The department has been accredited since 2010. With overall agency reaccreditation, the CHP remains the largest accredited law enforcement agency in the nation.
“Accreditation is truly a great honor, and a designation for which all CHP employees can take great pride in,” said Commissioner Farrow. “For the public, it means that our standards for excellence and service to the public are built on solid policies and procedures that have been reviewed and certified by outside law enforcement professionals from across the nation.”
The CALEA Accreditation Program provides law enforcement agencies with an opportunity to voluntarily demonstrate their adherence to an established set of professional standards and includes an external, objective evaluation of departmental operations.
Ultimately, the CALEA Accreditation Program promotes the efficient use of resources and seeks to improve the delivery of service to the public.
In addition to overall agency accreditation, CALEA offers accreditation programs specific to training academies and communication centers.
Accreditation is for three years, during which time the CHP must submit annual reports showing continued compliance with those standards under which it was initially accredited.