POLICY & ACCREDITATION
The Arlington Police Department once again successfully completed their four-year accreditation cycle in both the Law Enforcement and the Arlington Police Department Training Centerwith the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies ( CALEA ). Furthermore , both areas achieved the highest level of accreditation and were awarded with the Excellence designation . The Accreditation with Excellence Award was created by CALEA as a symbolic incentive for agencies to employ CALEA Accreditation in a manner that sets the benchmark for public safety professionalism . Excellence in the development and implementation of contemporary policies and procedures ; in the ability to use the CALEA Accreditation process as a tool for continuous organizational improvement ; and in the collection , review and analysis of organizational data for the purpose of public safety service improvement are just a few of the criteria that must be demonstrated to achieve this award .
The accreditation team worked diligently to continue the completion of 100 % of the mandatory standards , and more than 95 % of the optional standards required to achieve excellence . This was done through research , documentation , and the collection of proofs of compliance to reflect ongoing “ best practices ” according to CALEA . The Arlington Police Department and Arlington Police Training Center demonstrated through remote and on-site assessments in the 2023 year , that APD holds a commitment to professionalism and that CALEA Accreditation undoubtedly has become a part of “ The Arlington Way ”. This has been accomplished by institutionalizing the standards set forth by CALEA as the Gold Standard for Public Safety . On more than one occasion during the on-site assessment , statements were made that “ it is hard to tell what a CALEA standard is , and what is just ‘ The Arlington Way ’, CALEA is all we have ever known ”.
The 2023 assessment was the completion of the Police Department ' s tenth re-accreditation , and the Training Centers fifth , and as the department looks ahead to 2024 and the start of the next four-year cycle , it anticipates continued success with the accreditation process , including the pursuit of maintaining the ever coveted Tri-Arc award for the concurrent accreditation for Law Enforcement , Public Safety Communications , and Public Safety Training . This will be achieved by the continued review , revision , and implementations of policies and procedures that meet or exceed those “ best practices ” set forth by public safety accreditation . The Accreditation Team is eager to continue its efforts , while working with all those throughout the Arlington Police agencies and proving that Arlington continually rises to the top .
28 | 2023 Annual Report