The Newton County Sheriff’s Office achieved international accreditation through the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) in 2016. CALEA accreditation is a voluntary process that demonstrates the agency’s commitment to professional excellence. Accreditation signifies that the office adheres to specific standards that meet internationally recognized best practices for law enforcement agencies.
Accreditation provides an impartial assessment of the agency’s performance and areas for improvement. The process involves creating a comprehensive set of written directives, providing reports and analyses for the command staff to make informed decisions and establishing a preparedness program to address natural or man-made critical incidents. It also helps enhance the relationship with the community.
The Office of the Sheriff maintains compliance with applicable standards and provides proof of compliance. CALEA conducts an annual web-based assessment and a site-based assessment every four years to ensure continuous compliance.
The next on-site assessment is scheduled to begin on Nov. 18, 2024. An assessor will visit the agency to confirm compliance with standards and collect information about operations. The assessment will include observation of facilities, equipment, personnel and operations and interviews with staff, partner agencies, government officials and private citizens.
CALEA has established a public portal to gather feedback on compliance with CALEA standards, community engagement, delivery of public safety services and the overall eligibility for accredited status. Comments can be in the form of commendations or concerns. The primary purpose of the accreditation process is to provide information that supports continuous improvement.
The public portal can be found at http://cimrs2.calea.org/444
To learn more about CALEA and the accreditation process, visit https://calea.org/
Important: CALEA is not an investigatory body, and the public portal should not be used to submit information for such purposes. There will be no response other than acknowledgment to submissions, though the information will be considered in context of its relevancy to compliance with standards and the tenets of CALEA accreditation.
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