The Newton County Sheriff’s Office (NCSO) obtained its official international accreditation through the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) March 25.
NCSO welcomed CALEA in November of last year to conduct a standards compliance assessment of the agency. In the months after the audit was completed, a final assessment report was created to disclose the results.
During the assessors’ visit, Chief David Moen of the Auburn Police Department (Maine) and Captain Norman Mann of the St. Louis County Police Department (Missouri) toured and assessed the facility through audits, reviews, hearings and evaluations to ensure the agency was in compliance with the internationally established standards.
The assessors noted on multiple occasions that the NCSO had three years to prepare for the on-site assessment, however, successfully completed it in under a year and had zero non-compliance issues with the standards.
Verification by the assessment team is part of a voluntary process to gain accreditation, a highly regarded recognition of professional excellence in public safety.
NCSO Sheriff Ezell Brown, Newton County Commissioner Ronnie Cowan and staff went before the CALEA commission and obtained official international accreditation through CALEA March 25.
Accreditation status represents a monumental professional achievement and it also confirms that the NCSO has policies and practices that are consistent with progressive professional international standards.
NCSO is extremely honored and proud to be accredited by CALEA. This reinforces the high standards that are expected from our personnel and shows that NCSO is aligned with international guidelines. Receiving this accreditation will continue to instill greater public confidence in the agency and employees.
The CALEA Accreditation award is valid for four years, and the agency is required to maintain continuous compliance during the award period. An assessment is conducted annually to ensure compliance is being maintained.
In conjunction with CALEA accreditation, the NCSO also holds Georgia State Certification, National Commission on Correctional Health Care (NCCHC) accreditation, and American Correction Association (ACA) accreditation. These accreditations/certifications make NCSO eligible for the prestigious National Sheriff’s Association Triple Crown Award.
