CALEA Accreditation – A Commitment to Professional Excellence: 
The South Portland Police Department is a nationally accredited agency by the Commission on Accreditation Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA).
Having begun the process in 2015, the department reviews, creates and modifies its policies and standard operating procedures on an ongoing basis in accordance with the nationally recognized best practices established by CALEA.
CALEA is a voluntary accreditation process designed to improve the delivery of public safety services and seek professional excellence by adopting and demonstrating their adherence to an established set of professional standards. The process includes an external, objective evaluation of departmental operations. In addition to providing an opportunity for self-improvement, accreditation can instill a greater sense of confidence among departmental employees, the community and city leaders, and improve overall service delivery.
CALEA standards reflect the current thinking and experience of law enforcement practitioners and researchers. Major law enforcement associations, leading educational and training institutions, governmental agencies, as well as law enforcement executives, internationally, acknowledge CALEA’s Standards for Law Enforcement Agencies and its Accreditation Program as benchmarks for today’s professional law enforcement agency.
- CALEA Accreditation requires an agency to develop a comprehensive, well thought out, uniform set of written directives. This is one of the most successful methods for reaching administrative and operational goals, while also providing direction to personnel.
- CALEA Accreditation standards provide the necessary reports and analyses a CEO needs to make fact-based, informed management decisions.
- CALEA Accreditation requires a preparedness program be put in place – so an agency is ready to address natural or man-made unusual occurrences.
- CALEA Accreditation is a means for developing or improving upon an agency’s relationship with the community.
- CALEA Accreditation strengthens an agency’s accountability, both within the agency and the community, through a continuum of standards that clearly define authority, performance, and responsibilities.
- Being CALEA Accredited can limit an agency’s liability and risk exposure because it demonstrates that internationally recognized standards or “best practices” for law enforcement have been met, as verified by a team of independent CALEA-trained assessors.
CALEA Accreditation Public Comment Portal
Press Release - February 8, 2023
Lt. Todd Bernard
Accreditation Manager
207.799.5511 ext. 7241
Sgt. Jake Hall
Assistant Accreditation Manager
207.799.5511 ext. 7218