Accreditation
In 2005, the Georgetown Police Department became accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA). CALEA is an international accrediting body that ensures police agencies are adhering to nationally recognized professional law enforcement standards. In addition, the GPD is accredited by the Commission for South Carolina Law Enforcement Accreditation (SCLEA). These accreditations are considered major accomplishments in the law enforcement profession.
The City of Georgetown (SC) Police Department is accredited through the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA.). CALEA was formed through the combined efforts of the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE), the National Sheriff's Association (NSA) and the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF). The commission was formed for two reasons: To develop a set of law enforcement standards, and to establish and administer an accreditation process through which law enforcement agencies could demonstrate voluntarily that they meet professionally recognized criteria for excellence in management and service delivery.
The benefits of being an accredited agency are:
- Greater accountability within the agency
- Controlled liability insurance costs
- Stronger defense against civil lawsuits
- Staunch support from government officials
- Increased community advocacy
The accreditation process involves a comprehensive self-assessment by the department of the 459 standards. The standards address six major law enforcement areas: (1) role, responsibilities and relationships with other agencies; (2) organization, management and administration; (3) personnel administration; (4) law enforcement operations, operational support and traffic; (5) prisoner and court related services; and (6) auxiliary and technical services.
Accreditation is a coveted award that symbolizes professionalism, excellence, and competence. Its requirements include:
- Written directives and training to inform employees about policies and practices
- Facilities and equipment to ensure employees? safety
- Processes to safeguard employees? rights.
Employees of the Georgetown Police Department take pride in their police service, knowing it represents the very best in law enforcement.
The Georgetown Police Department has a well established tradition of serving the community with integrity and in a professional manner. To maintain this tradition and continue improving the quality of service the department provides to the community, each and every employee must accept the responsibility for their role in maintaining integrity, quality and high professional standards. One core focus is to assure the department is committed to constant improvement. A means of accomplishing this goal is through voluntary compliance with CALEA reaccreditation. CALEA stands for The Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies; formed in 1979 to establish a body of standards designed to increase law enforcement agency capabilities to prevent and control crime; increase agency effectiveness and efficiency in the delivery of law enforcement services; increase cooperation and coordination with other law enforcement agencies and with other agencies of the criminal justice system; increase citizen and employee confidence in goals, objectives, policies, and practices of the agency.