Accreditation

Since 2001, the Hanover Park Police Department has been an accredited law enforcement agency. The Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA) is an organization founded by the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), National Sheriff's Association (NSA), National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE) and the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF). The Commission has developed a comprehensive set of written standards covering every aspect of law enforcement policies, procedures, practices, and operations. 

CALEA Accreditation has become the primary method for a law enforcement agency to voluntarily demonstrate its commitment to excellence in law enforcement. The Law Enforcement Accreditation Program standards reflect the current thinking and experience of law enforcement practitioners and researchers. Major law enforcement associations, leading educational and training institutions, governmental agencies, as well as law enforcement executives internationally, acknowledge CALEA’s Standards for Law Enforcement Agencies and its accreditation programs as benchmarks for professional law enforcement agencies. Because this process is so rigorous, only 3% of law enforcement agencies in the United States choose to become accredited. It is a highly valued mark of professional excellence for an agency to voluntarily participate in CALEA, which has over 900 law enforcement agencies in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean.

Annually, a compliance assessor reviews Hanover Park’s policies and proofs of compliance using an online compliance system. Every four years, a team of assessors visits Hanover Park to ensure it has maintained compliance with applicable standards and lives by the letter and spirit of those standards. The team examines specific areas of focus for the department. The department achieved Meritorious status for having been accredited more than 15 continuous years and was awarded “Accreditation with Excellence” status for having continually demonstrated excellence in commitment to the accreditation process and a willingness to share with others its accreditation success. Only a small percentage of CALEA agencies receive the “Accreditation with Excellence” award.

For Hanover Park, accreditation is a continuous endeavor for excellence and professionalism.

  • CALEA accreditation requires the department to develop a comprehensive, well thought out, uniform set of written directives.  This is one of the most successful methods for reaching administrative and operational goals, while also providing direction to our members.
  • CALEA’s 461 Law Enforcement Accreditation Program standards provide the necessary reports and analyses the Chief of Police needs to make fact-based, informed management decisions.
  • CALEA accreditation requires an emergency preparedness program be put in place—so the department is ready to address natural or man-made unusual occurrences and critical incidents.
  • CALEA accreditation is a means for developing or improving upon our relationship with the community.
  • CALEA accreditation strengthens our accountability, both within the department and the community, through an internationally recognized set of professional standards that clearly define authority, performance, and responsibilities.
  • Being CALEA accredited can limit our liability and risk exposure because it demonstrates that nationally recognized standards for law enforcement have been met, as verified by a team of independent outside CALEA-trained assessors.
  • CALEA accreditation facilitates our pursuit of professional excellence.

To learn more about CALEA and the accreditation process, visit CALEA's website. 

To provide a comment the Hanover Park Police Department's compliance with CALEA standards, engagement in the service community, delivery of public safety services, and overall candidacy for accredited status, please visit CALEA's Public Comment Portal.