What is the difference between State and National Accreditation? Do I need to have both?
The principle differences are the number of standards, what issues/functions those standards address and the fees. CALEA is the recognized entity that accredits law enforcement agencies on a national and international basis. Some states have their own accreditation commissions. However, if you dont live in one of these states (Florida, New York, Virginia, etc.) this option is not open to your agency. Do you need to have both? The answer is no. However, if you obtain CALEA accreditation, you can obtain comparative compliance with most state accreditation commissions with little effort and expense. The status and prestige of having both assures your community that you are a leader in your profession. We are a small agency with few resources. The cost of becoming an accredited agency seems high, when considering the benefits vs. cost involved. What alternatives do we have? Will we need to designate one of our officers as a full time accreditation manager? Small agencies face this problem
