Lower Merion Police Department Earns International Accreditation

The Lower Merion Township Police Department recently earned an elite designation from an international credentialing authority, the township announced this week.

The Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) has awarded the Lower Merion Police Department with official accreditation. The department joins only 4.4 percent of all law enforcement agencies in the United States to earn the CALEA accreditation. In Pennsylvania, only 11 other agencies have received the honor.

The designation is the culmination of three years of work that involved completing a self-assessment by complying with applicable standards, developing proofs of compliance, and preparing for an on-site assessment, the township said in a statement.

A team of CALEA-trained assessors visited the LMPD in November 2014 to determine compliance with 188 standards, viewed department operations, conducted a public information session, and completed a report of its findings to the Commission for final determination of accreditation status.

This past week, the Commission’s Review Committee conducted hearings regarding the LMPD’s compliance to applicable standards, and the Commission awarded accreditation for a three-year period.

“This is a tremendous accomplishment by the men and women of the Lower Merion Police Department,” said Township Manager Ernie McNeely. “I’d like to congratulate Superintendent Mike McGrath and his command staff, and the rank and file officers who serve our residents so well, day in and day out.”

CALEA was created in 1979 as a credentialing authority through the joint efforts of law enforcement’s major executive associations: the International Association of Chiefs of Police, National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives, National Sheriffs’ Association, and the Police Executive Research Forum. The CALEA Accreditation Process is a proven modern management model that provides a blueprint to promote the efficient use of resources and improve service delivery on a continuing basis.