Accreditation

The City of Alcoa Police Department is accredited through the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA.). CALEA was formed in 1979 through the combined efforts of the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE), the National Sheriff's Association (NSA) and the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF). The commission was formed for two reasons: To develop a set of law enforcement standards, and to establish and administer an accreditation process through which law enforcement agencies could demonstrate voluntarily that they meet professionally recognized criteria for excellence in management and service delivery.

The benefits of being an accredited agency are:

Greater accountability within the agency
Controlled liability insurance costs
Stronger defense against civil lawsuits
Staunch support from government officials
Increased community advocacy

The accreditation process involves a comprehensive self-assessment by the department of the 463 standards. The standards address six major law enforcement areas: (1) role, responsibilities and relationships with other agencies; (2) organization, management and administration; (3) personnel administration; (4) law enforcement operations, operational support and traffic; (5) prisoner and court related services; and (6) auxiliary and technical services.

Accreditation is a coveted award that symbolizes professionalism, excellence, and competence. Its requirements include:

Written directives and training to inform employees about policies and practices
Facilities and equipment to ensure employees? safety
Processes to safeguard employees? rights.

Employees of the Alcoa Police Department take pride in their police service, knowing it represents the very best in law enforcement.