Creve Coeur Police Announce International Accreditation

CREVE COEUR, MO — The Creve Coeur Police Department announced Monday it had obtained a gold standard accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, an international credentialing authority that sets a series of professional standards for police departments.

The commission was created in 1979 by four founding member organizations: The International Association of Chiefs of Police, the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives, the National Sheriff's Association, and the Police Executive Research Forum.

Only about half of American police departments are accredited, according to CALEA, a number that decreases with the size of the department.

The Creve Coeur PD said on Twitter that the accreditation process had included "many hours of policy reviews, proof collecting, and an on-site assessment..."

CALEA guidelines include rules on when and how to use force, conduct searches and respect citizens' rights; standards for how employees are treated; how the department should be structured and organized; fiscal management; disciplinary procedures; and reporting and crime analysis standards, among an extensive list.

CALEA says those standards help law enforcement agencies strengthen crime prevention efforts, establish fair personnel practices, boost inter-agency cooperation efforts, and build stronger relationships with citizens.

After many hours of policy reviews, proof collecting & an on-site assessment, we are happy to announce that the CCPD obtained the illustrious @CALEA_org "Gold Standard" accreditation over the weekend. Special shout out to Lt. Williams for his hard work on this endeavor. pic.twitter.com/RyHdN3Fx1j
— Creve Coeur Police (@CreveCoeurPD) March 26, 2018