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4 Things to Consider Before Taking the Accreditation Leap

By Know Your Force
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Published on May 12, 2022

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If your department has ever considered police accreditation, the financial investment and time commitment can feel like an insurmountable obstacle. Many departments decide against national accreditation for these very reasons. Thirty-five years since the first departments were accredited through CALEA, the number of nationally accredited police departments remains low, hovering around 623, or 3%, US state, local, and national law enforcement agencies.[1]

With the introduction of state police accreditation agencies, who have stepped in to help reduce the financial burden of national accreditation, the process is more approachable. However, accreditation can still feel like a burden rather than a boon for many police departments. It doesn’t have to be that way. Departments should consider these four things before becoming accredited.

1. Community-oriented policing as a philosophy

Community-oriented policing should be more than a standard in your department — it should be a philosophy. What does this mean? Community-oriented policing is a lived practice, helping to shape your procedures and methodologies. The United States Marine Corps philosophy is “to train well in peace so that it can fight well in war.” This philosophy underpins every action taken by a Marine, from Four-Star Generals to eighteen-year-old boot-camp recruits. There’s a reason this has remained the USMC’s philosophy. Training is never-ending for a Marine. It is often relentless and grueling. When the uniform comes off, standards and policies can be left at the door. A philosophy stays with you no matter where you are, helping to guide your actions and behavior.

What is your police department’s philosophy? Said another way, what is the philosophy you want your men and women to hold when pulling over a vehicle? When responding to a distraught 911 caller? Community-oriented policing as a philosophy sets a foundation for specific actions.

All accreditation standards — federal or state — have community orientation at their core. Accreditation should not set your standards or create goal posts to reach — it should affirm the practices and procedures you’ve already implemented. Otherwise, it just becomes another box to check.

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2. Accreditation isn’t an end point, it’s a beginning

Receiving accreditation is a momentous moment for many departments — it signifies a department-wide dedication to police standards, professionalism, and modernization. Accreditation is an expensive, time-intensive process, though. It can be easy to rest after receiving that gold-plated accreditation placard. Accreditation is a marathon, though, not a sprint.

Departments need to put in place tools and procedures that continuously reinforce accreditation standards, especially when it comes to their frontline officers. Making changes during and after the accreditation process, such as realigning officer commendations to focus on community-oriented practices rather than punitive actions, goes a long way to signal a commitment to underlying principles of accreditation to the entire department.

3. Proactive not reactive

Your decision to become accredited should not be rooted in elevated levels of concern about legislation that might mandate new procedures or policies. Although this can serve as an effective impetus to take action, it can not be the primary reason for accreditation. Too often, police managers look to accreditation for this reason alone.[2]

Your decision to become accredited should be viewed as a proactive step. Other reasons for accreditation should be highlighted, such as improving the professionalism of your department to affect career advancement for your officers. Additionally, better direction, accountability, consistency of performance, and improved community and peer perception are just some of the other benefits of accreditation. [2]

Accreditation should not set your standards or create goal posts to reach — it should affirm the practices and procedures you’ve already implemented. Otherwise, it just becomes another box to check.

4. Community feedback is essential

Many accreditation standards require the implementation of a community-engagement tool. And for a good reason: you can’t manage what you don’t measure. Why are so many agencies missing the opportunity to gather feedback from their community, one of the most significant leading indicators of an agency’s relationship with their community? For one, resistance to receiving feedback isn’t unique to police work. It’s just as much a problem in corporate America as it is for municipal police departments. Behavioral scientists have noted the reluctance in most people to ask for feedback — even if it means missing positive feedback. And yet, studies show that those who ask for feedback rank among the highest performing leaders. [3]

Most police departments receive feedback through only one channel: complaints. When that’s your only form of feedback, it can be easy to dwell on the number of complaints. A recent study on police complaints found an interesting correlation. They found that “increasing the number of locations where a complaint may be filed or involving citizens in the complaint review process” leads to an increase in complaints but leads to fewer claims of malpractice.[2] When a department views that act of gathering feedback holistically, and not merely focused on the number of complaints, the positive effects reverberate through the entire organization.

Moreover, we have found that the average police department receives 84%+ approval ratings on their officer-citizen feedback — some departments reaching as high as 96%. [4] Gathering input from citizens is essential to know how your efforts are performing in the community.

Accreditation can be a goal in and of itself rather than a mechanism for quality control, accountability, and planning. When you focus on establishing a community-oriented philosophy, proactive standards, and processes that empower your frontline officers to continually engage with the community — strengthening both officer and citizen — you’re creating a system that perpetuates itself in aligning with accreditation standards. Doing otherwise may lead to accreditation becoming a burden, where police managers have to remain vigilant in assuring that the processes they set in place are attaining their goals.

Where can you start? One way is to implement a simple yet powerful tool, like On-the-Stop surveys, to begin or reinforce a community-oriented approach for your entire department. Not only will this help you align with internal goals, it will engage your department in actions that run congruently with accreditation standards—before you even start the process. Learn more at www.knowyourforce.com.