Providence Police Department earns Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) National Reaccreditation with the Gold Standard of Policing

First accredited in 2014, the Providence Police have once again proven to be an
exemplary agency through CALEA standards, an honor that only a select few law
enforcement agencies throughout the country achieve

The CALEA Law Enforcement Accreditation Program is comprised of 189 selected
standards that departments must meet to ensure they are implementing nationally
recognized best practices in law enforcement. Out of the approximately 18,000 law
enforcement agencies in the United States, less than 5% have achieved CALEA
accreditation. The Providence Police Department is the largest municipal police
department in New England to be CALEA accredited.

In March of 2017, CALEA assessors spent several days with the Providence Police
Department to perform an on-site assessment of the department’s policies and
procedures, management, operations, and support services, verifying that the
department is deserving of this prestigious public safety achievement. As part of
the assessment, agency employees and members of the community were also asked to
provide comments to the assessment team during a call-in session and at a public
forum held at the Providence Public Safety Complex. The CALEA assessors then
reported their findings to the full CALEA Commission.

«Reaccreditation from CALEA validates the Providence Police Department’s strong
commitment to excellence in their service to protect the people of Providence,» said
Mayor Jorge Elorza. «On behalf of our residents, I salute all members of our
department for upholding the highest standards of professionalism.»

«This accomplishment is attributed to the outstanding work and commitment of the
entire sworn and civilian staff of the Providence Police Department,» said Colonel
Clements. «Our department holds itself accountable to the highest standards in 21st
Century Policing, and this national achievement validates our efforts and showcases
the unsurpassed efforts of our officers. I commend our accreditation team,
Lieutenant Joseph Acampora and Officer Matthew Mulligan for all of their efforts
throughout this process.»

About CALEA:
CALEA accreditation is a voluntary process that requires agencies to submit annual
reports showing compliance with the program’s standards. The CALEA reaccreditation
award is for four years, and the Department is required to maintain continuous
compliance during the award period. The purpose of CALEA’s accreditation programs is
to improve the delivery of public safety services, primarily by: maintaining a body
of standards, developed by public safety practitioners, covering a wide range of
up-to-date public safety initiatives; establishing and administering an
accreditation process; and recognizing professional excellence.