The Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) was created in 1979 as a credentialing authority through the joint efforts of major law enforcement executive associations throughout the country. The primary purpose of CALEA is to improve the delivery of public safety services by maintaining a comprehensive body of law enforcement standards, establishing and administering an accreditation process, and recognizing professional excellence.
The CALEA accreditation program provides law enforcement agencies with an opportunity to demonstrate compliance with an established set of professional standards on a voluntary basis, and includes and external, objective evaluation of departmental operations.
There are approximately 18,000 state and local law enforcement agencies in the country. Around 800 agencies participate in the CALEA process and benefit from the collective experience of thousands of law enforcement managers and executives across the nation, and acts as a blueprint for better law enforcement institutions that are efficient, well equipped and responsive to the communities that they serve.
The Griffin Police Department has been State Certified since 1999 and received its first Commission on Accreditation in 2003. In November 2015, the agency received its 4th Gold Standard Award. This past June, Griffin Police Department received their certificate for State certification and in July of 2019, will be preparing for their on-site CALEA.