Sheriff's Office Awaits CALEA Accreditation

Only Six Georgia Sheriff's Offices Have Received This Recognition

The Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) recently conducted an on-site assessment of the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office and all indications are that the department is about to become only the seventh sheriff’s office in the State of Georgia to become internationally accredited.

According to Major Dennis Nelson, a team of three assessors from other states reviewed the policies and procedures of the Sheriff’s Office, viewed operations and interviewed key county and agency personnel.  In addition, a public meeting was held to give the public an opportunity for input.

The assessors wanted to ensure that the department was in compliance with CALEA’s 444 standards for professional conduct.

"We were given a tentative report indicating that we would be recommended for full accreditation at the November 2003 CALEA Conference," Nelson said recently.

"After accreditation, we will be the 37th law enforcement agency and only the seventh sheriff’s office in the State to be internationally accredited," he added.

As of June 2003, more than 600 law enforcement agencies in the United States, Canada, and Barbados were fully accredited or recognized. In the United States, this represents approximately 24 percent of all local law enforcement agencies.

CALEA was established as an independent accrediting authority in 1979, by the four major law enforcement membership associations, International Association of Chiefs of Police, (IACP) National Organization of Black Enforcement Executives (NOBLE), National Sheriffs' Association, and Police Executive Research Forum (PERF). The executive directors of these four associations appoint members annually; an endorsement requires a majority vote for each appointment.

The Commission has 21 members; 11 members are law enforcement practitioners; the remaining 10 members are selected from the public and private sectors.