Return to the Academy Home Page
CALEA Accreditation

On December 6, 2008, the St. Louis County and Municipal Police Academy was granted Accreditation through the Commission on Accreditation for Public Safety Training Academies.CALEA Logo This accreditation will ensure that our organization seeks to achieve, objectively verify, and maintain high quality in our operations through periodic evaluations conducted by an independent, non-governmental body that has established standards.

The accreditation concept for Law Enforcement started with the United States Department of Justice providing a grant to the four leading law enforcement executive associations to advance law enforcement professionalism by establishing voluntary standards. The organizations were: International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP); National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE); National Sheriffs' Association (NSA); and Police Executive Research Forum (PERF). The result of this initiative was the creation in 1979 of a private, non-profit corporation: The Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc (CALEA).

The Public Safety Training Academy Accreditation Program was developed in 2002 CALEA Academy Accreditation Logoand is open to governmental organizations that are authorized to provide a comprehensive basic law enforcement or public safety training program or advanced in-service broad scope training. Its purpose is to promote superior public safety training services and recognize professional excellence. The program's standards were derived from the best practices of professional public safety training agencies and institutions, and do not conflict with any national or stated Police Officer Standards and Training (POST) authorities or other training authorities. The program standards cover nine topic areas: (1) certification; (2) organization; (3) direction and authority; (4) human resources; (5) recruitment and selection; (6) instructional systems; (7) program development; (8) training support; and (9) student welfare.

This academy opted to obtain the Public Safety Training Academy Accreditation to enhance the prior CALEA Accreditation it received under the St. Louis County Police Department. Accreditation is a continuing process and the Academy will be required to renew its accreditation in 2011.