Portsmouth Police Department Earns National Accreditation Status

PORTSMOUTH, RI - The Portsmouth Police Department attained national accreditation status from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA).

The Portsmouth Police Department is now one of only eleven municipal police agencies in Rhode Island to hold this prestigious certification. About 5 percent of law enforcement agencies nationwide hold the distinction of national accreditation.

For the past 18 months, Police Chief Brian Peters said the department developed comprehensive policies and demonstrated compliance with 182 mandatory standards of the policing profession. The process began with a comprehensive self-assessment of Portsmouth police's policies, practices, and processes. The process continued with numerous assessments conducted by the CALEA staff.

"The Portsmouth Police Department is committed to enacting, following, and maintaining the highest standards of the police profession," Peters said. "This award affirms our pledge of accountability to the residents and visitors of Portsmouth as we strive to maintain a strong partnership of trust within our community. National accreditation demonstrates our commitment to providing police services which not only meet our community’s expectations but exceeds them, and exemplifies our department’s values of honesty, integrity, and pride."

The CALEA program is a voluntary process which provides a mark of excellence for the agencies which pursue and receive the accreditation. The CALEA accreditation program provides public safety agencies with an opportunity to voluntarily meet an established set of professional standards, which require:

• Comprehensive and uniform written directives that clearly define authority, performance, and responsibilities
• Reports and analyses to make fact-based and informed management decisions
• Preparedness to address natural or man-made critical incidents
• Community relationship-building and maintenance
• Independent review by subject-matter experts
• Continuous pursuit of excellence through annual reviews and other assessment measures.

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