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The Suffolk Police Department has officially been awarded reaccreditation from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies Inc.

The Suffolk Police Department started the initial lengthy process in 2011, and it was first awarded in 2014. This will be the second reaccreditation award the department has received.

The accreditation program requires agencies to comply with state-of-the-art standards in four basic areas: policy and procedures, administration, operations and support services.  The Suffolk Police Department must comply with approximately 163 standards which, in turn, contain more than 300 bulleted sub-standards in order to gain accredited status.

Accreditation is for four years, during which the agency must submit annual reports attesting to continued compliance with those standards under which it was initially accredited. The Suffolk Police Department is community-oriented, and public trust is an integral part of its function on a day-to-day basis. This rigorous process offers a transparency to the public that mutually benefits both parties so that the Suffolk Police Department can work together to build and support the most viable community possible. Enrollment in the CALEA Accreditation process is strictly voluntary, as most departments would not be able to reach compliance with the strict accountability standards that are required.  Only a small percentage of all police departments in the nation are accredited, as it takes the highest level of commitment to excellence to be able to comply with all of the requirements.

Upon learning of this achievement, Interim Chief Alfred Chandler stated, “CALEA is not just a feather in a cap. The certification is an indicator that we are following best practices in law enforcement concerning a number of things, such as substantive oversight, policies in keeping with new standards, transparency and consistency. We are very proud of this great accomplishment because we know it makes us a better agency. It speaks to, and provides oversight, on many of the problems and issues within the policing profession. It serves as another tool to keep us focused on providing the best service to our citizens as possible. That is what it is all about!”