NCJ Number
208231
Journal
Journal of Security Administration Volume: 26 Issue: 1 Dated: June 2003 Pages: 17-24
Date Published
June 2003
Length
8 pages
Annotation
This paper reviews the history and current status of standards and accreditation for public police agencies and private security agencies.
Abstract
The Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) was created in 1979 to develop a set of law enforcement standards and establish and administer an accreditation process through which law enforcement agencies could voluntarily demonstrate that they meet professionally recognized criteria for excellence in management and service delivery. This paper outlines the nine major law enforcement subjects addressed in CALEA's 2001 standards manual, lists the goals of CALEA standards, and describes the five phases of the accreditation process, followed by data on the costs of accreditation and a listing of the benefits of accreditation. In the area of private security, the American Society of Industrial Security (ASIS) established a Commission on International Security Guidelines to identify and categorize existing security-related standards and develop new guidelines. According to the commission's 1998 research, 42 U.S. States had legislation that set hiring requirements and disqualifications for security personnel, but only 16 States had formal training requirements for security personnel. The commission has called for a formal mechanism to establish minimum training requirements certified by a regulatory agency in each State. There is no national commission to oversee the private security industry and its members. The Private Sector Liaison Committee of the International Association of Chiefs of Police has recommended such a commission for private security agencies similar to that of CALEA. 12 references