(COLO) – The Colorado State Patrol remains in rare company, having passed an internationally recognized independent organization’s rigorous assessment of the Patrol’s professionalism, policies, leadership and standards.
This week the Colorado State Patrol was accredited again by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies Inc., (CALEA) which represents the gold standard for accreditation in law enforcement in the United States and many other countries.
However, the Colorado State Patrol didn’t receive one accreditation but rather three. Known as the CALEA TRI-ARC award, it is given to the governing body and agencies that have concurrent CALEA accreditation for their law enforcement, public safety communications (dispatch call centers), and public safety training agencies (Colorado State Patrol Academy).
This achievement is rare with only 26 agencies having ever achieved the TRI-ARC Award and only five of those being state agencies. In addition, one of the accreditations, the Colorado State Patrol’s Training Academy, is the only CALEA accredited academy in the State of Colorado.
“The Colorado State Patrol holds ourselves to a very high standard because we know that is what the public deserves and expects from their law enforcement community,” stated Matthew C. Packard, Chief of the Colorado State Patrol. “We’re proud to be accredited and remain committed to the ongoing review of adherence to CALEA’s standards. We want our community to know we are operating under the highest standards of public safety.”
The Colorado State Patrol has been law enforcement accredited since March 2015 and earned its first TRI-ARC certification in March 2018. This second award demonstrates consistency in its practices and standards.
In 1979, the Commission was created through the combined efforts of four major law enforcement organizations; the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives, the National Sheriffs’ Association and the Police Executive Research Forum.
The purpose of the Commission is to develop standards based on international best practices in public safety and to establish and administer the accreditation process. The accreditation process is how a public safety agency voluntarily demonstrates how it meets professionally recognized criteria for excellence in management and service delivery.
“This award of accreditation does not come easy,” said CALEA President Anthony Purcell, Chief of Police, the University of Alabama at Birmingham Police Department. “Agencies must go through a rigorous review and evaluation of their organization and then implement the necessary policy and procedure changes. The process does not stop at that point. By voluntarily choosing to seek CALEA accreditation, the agency commits to an ongoing review of adherence to CALEA’s standards. Each community with CALEA accredited agencies should feel confident that their public safety organization is going above and beyond and operating under the highest standards in public safety.”
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ABOUT THE COLORADO STATE PATROL
Since our origin in 1935, the Colorado State Patrol (CSP) has focused on preserving human life and protecting property within our communities. Our 1,100 members embody the core values of Honor, Duty, and Respect in their daily jobs. In addition to our expertise in motor vehicle safety on the state’s roadways, the CSP is responsible for the Governor and other dignitaries’ protection, commercial motor vehicle enforcement, hazardous materials, homeland security, communications, investigative services, criminal interdiction, community education, aviation operations, and more.