The Albany Police Department proudly became internationally accredited on November 16, 2019, through the Commission on Accreditation Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA). Our department is currently the third law enforcement agency in Oregon to achieve this status.
The Albany Police Department began the journey to become internationally accredited in 2015. The Department has revamped policies and implemented new procedures to ensure efficient law enforcement standards and practices. A comprehensive on-site inspection of policies, procedures, and operations took place in June 2019. In November 2019, the department went before the CALEA Committee Review panel to review the on-site assessment report. With approval from the committee, accreditation was granted for the Advanced Law Enforcement program. The Albany Police Department received their first reaccreditation award in November 2023 affirming their continued commitment and compliance with CALEA standards.
By choosing to be accredited through CALEA, the Albany Police Department has voluntarily accepted the challenge to meet the most rigorous set of standards for law enforcement based on industry best practices in the United States. Accreditation is for four years, during which the agency must submit annual reports attesting continued compliance with these standards under which it was initially accredited.
CALEA developed a comprehensive set of 486 written standards covering every aspect of law enforcement policies, procedures, best practices and operations. These standards are designed to increase:
- Public safety agency capabilities to maintain law and order
- Agency effectiveness and efficiency in the delivery of public safety services
- Cooperation and coordination with other public safety agencies, and with other agencies in the criminal justice system
- Citizen and employee confidence in the goals, objectives, policies, and practices of the agency
Benefits of Accreditation:
- Enhanced community partnerships
- Coordination with neighboring agencies and other parts of the criminal justice system.
- Systematic assessment and upgrading of training and equipment.
- Reduction of liability litigation and related costs.
- Proactively developed management systems, policies and procedures.
- Impartial guidelines for evaluation and change.
- International recognition of professional excellence.
For more information about accreditation with CALEA, go to www.calea.org.
CALEA Public Comment Portal
CALEA Public Comment Portal is now available at https://cimrs2.calea.org/829. Access to this portal is provided as an opportunity to the public for comments regarding our agency's compliance with CALEA standards, engagement in the community, delivery of public safety services, and overall candidacy for accredited status. These comments can be in the form of commendations or concerns. The overall intent of the accreditation process is to provide APD with information to support continuous improvement, as well as foster the pursuit of professional excellence.
If you have questions about the Albany Police Department's accreditation, please contact Merab Smith, 541-791-0229,
