Central Nova News

The Alexandria Police Department (APD) has achieved Advanced Law Enforcement Re-accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA). This marks the 38th consecutive year that APD has maintained this status, which was awarded on July 27.

CALEA accreditation is considered a gold standard for public safety agencies worldwide. It requires compliance with over 440 standards and practices. The continuous accreditation of APD highlights its role as a model in law enforcement.

Raul Pedroso, Interim Chief of Police for the APD, stated, "CALEA’s accreditation standards promote the efficient use of resources, improve service delivery to our community, and ensure we are in keeping with established best practices.” He also expressed gratitude towards the department's personnel: “I want to thank our personnel for continuing to meet the high standards established by CALEA and striving for excellence in all that we do at APD. This important achievement is a testament to the dedication of our officers and other staff who demonstrate their commitment every single day.”

The process for CALEA accreditation involves a thorough self-assessment where policies and procedures are evaluated against international public safety standards. Independent assessors then conduct an evaluation, which includes public feedback and structured interviews with selected agency members to gauge effectiveness and service delivery capacity.

In attendance at the awarding were Craig Hartley Jr., Executive Director of CALEA; Raul Pedroso; Caroline Dunn, APD Accreditation Manager; Sergeant Ian Torrance from the APD Office of Directives & Research; and Marlon Lynch, CALEA Commission Chairman.