CALEA Advanced Accreditation

Message from the Police Chief

On July 20, 2021, following scheduled annual reviews and a meticulous site-based assessment of our agency’s community engagement, policies, procedures, equipment and facilities by a team of outside CALEA assessors, the Southern Pines Police Department was again awarded national accreditation by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA).  Each agency being reviewed goes before CALEA’s 21-member Board of Commissioners where the commission reviews all findings of the assessment and determines the agencies’ accreditation status.  The department’s initial accreditation was in 2011, and has subsequently achieved reaccreditation in 2014, 2017 and now again in 2021.  In reaccreditation years 2017 and 2021, the Southern Pines Police Department was awarded Advanced Accreditation with Excellence during the CALEA National Conference.  There is no higher law enforcement accreditation than what has been received by this department. 

“The Southern Pines Police Department is again proud to have been awarded reaccreditation by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies. This continues to be such an achievement for this agency and the Town of Southern Pines, to be one of only 5% of law enforcement agencies in the country to be nationally accredited by CALEA, and to have achieved the Gold Standard of “Accreditation with Excellence”. We continue to strive to be a leader in the law enforcement profession, and demonstrate excellence in the services we provide to our community,” said Chief Nicholas Polidori.  

The Southern Pines Police Department voluntarily participates in national accreditation through CALEA, which ensures agency policies and procedures align with tested and proven best practices in policing.   Verification of compliance by CALEA assessors with both mandated and voluntary standards ensures this agency continuously stays up to date on policies and procedures, management, operations, and support services.  The CALEA Accreditation award is valid until 2025. The Southern Pines Police Department is required to maintain continuous compliance during the award period which is verified annually by CALEA.  The Southern Pines Police Department currently is the only accredited law enforcement agency in Moore County, North Carolina.

As an Advanced Law Enforcement Accredited agency, the Southern Pines Police Department is part of a continuous process of development and improvement. The goal of this process is to maintain the best practices in law enforcement and provide the highest quality services to our community. As part of this process, the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) has introduced a public access portal. Access to the portal is provided as an opportunity for comments, commendations, and other information regarding the agency’s quality of service or other information relevant to the accreditation process. If you would like to provide feedback on one of the above-mentioned topics, you can access the public portal by clicking on the below link:

https://cimrs2.calea.org/598

For more information on law enforcement accreditation, please contact the Southern Pines Police Department Accreditation Manager at 910-692-2732 X 2826, or by email.