Police Earn Elite Status Through Accrediation

The Clayton Police Department has moved into some elite company, becoming the only law enforcement agency in Johnston County to earn full accreditation.

The unanimous decision by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) moves the Department into the top-tier of law enforcement agencies across the country, joining just over 700 worldwide who have earned the honor.

"We're very pleased, of course," said Chief Glen Allen. "This has been a long project for us, and we're thrilled to see it come together. When we chose to meet the Accreditation standards, we knew what was before us, and we were determined to establish ourselves as a professional law enforcement organization. We've always tried to maintain a high standard, and, of course, we'll continue to do that."

The Department got high marks back in August when a team of CALEA assessors spent days in Clayton studying its policies, procedures and performance.

"This is a tremendous achievement," said Mayor Jody McLeod. "This Department has worked hard for years to be the best, and I couldn't be more proud of them."

Captain R.W. Bridges, who was instrumental in getting the Department through the accreditation process, said the honor not only means a boost in the Department's already stellar reputation, but it also has a very practical benefit---the town is in line to get up to a 20 discount on its liability insurance as a result.

Accreditation is a very rigorous process related to establishment of the highest standards for policies and procedures in the law enforcement community. To achieve accreditation, the Department had to meet high standards in hundreds of different areas. The assessment team reviewed written materials, conducted interviews and visited offices and other places where compliance with high standards can be witnessed or observed.

Building a top-notch police force has been a high priority of town officials for the last several years. New capabilities and programs have been added, and officers have been encouraged to get advanced training. As a result, local index crime (property & violent) is on the decline even though the population is going up.

Calling accreditation "a highly-prized recognition of law enforcement professional excellence," Chief Allen said getting to that level has been a goal since he joined the department a few years ago. He said he intends to use what he's learned through the process to help other agencies who are on their way to achieving the lofty status.

Work is slated to begin next year on a new Law Enforcement Center downtown that will give police more room and better facilities.