TOWSON, MD—The Baltimore County Police Department on Monday announced that it had once again been awarded law enforcement accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA).

CALEA is a competitive award that signifies excellence in public safety and commitment to the community. Law enforcement accreditation shows the department has maintained the gold standard in policing.

“This award epitomizes the collective effort of the CALEA Team and the department’s continuance work to evaluate, adopt, and submit for review the industry’s best practices and policies,” said Captain Lamont Martin.

The process of CALEA accreditation begins with a rigorous self-assessment, requiring a review of policies, practices, and processes against internationally accepted public safety standards. This is followed with an assessment by independent assessors with significant public safety experience.

Additionally, public feedback is received to promote community trust and engagement, and structured interviews are conducted with select agency personnel and others with knowledge to assess the agency’s effectiveness and overall service delivery capacities. The decision to accredit is rendered by a governing body of twenty-one Commissioners following a public hearing and review of all reporting documentation.

CALEA accreditation is a continuous process and serves as the foundation for a successful, well managed, transparent, community-focused public safety agency. To this end, an agency must maintain its accredited status by always remaining in compliance with CALEA standards. The CALEA accreditation indices are the marks of professional excellence.

This is the Baltimore County Police Department’s eleventh award of national accreditation. BCoPD was first accredited in 1984.