CALEA Accreditation Management

National Accreditation

The Leander Police Department is a nationally accredited agency through the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA).

CALEA was created in 1979 as a credentialing authority through the joint efforts of major law enforcement executive associations throughout the United States.

The purpose of CALEA is to improve the delivery of public safety services, primarily by: maintaining a body of standards, developed by public safety practitioners, covering a wide range of up-to-date public safety initiatives; establishing and administering an accreditation process; and recognizing professional excellence. 


The CALEA Accreditation Program provides law enforcement agencies with an opportunity to voluntarily demonstrate their adherence to an established set of professional standards and includes an external, objective evaluation of departmental operations that may assist with the identification of potential areas needing improvement.

In addition to providing an opportunity for self-improvement, accreditation can instill a greater sense of confidence among departmental employees and the citizens of Leander, as well as our city leaders and the other agencies we work with.

Ultimately, the CALEA Accreditation Program promotes the efficient use of resources and seeks to improve service delivery to our community.

To achieve " accredited" status, the Leander Police Department complied with more than 500 "best practice" standards established by CALEA for the operation of police organizations.

The CALEA assessment team examined all aspects of the Department's policies and procedures, management, operations, and support services. Participation in the CALEA process is voluntary, yet important.

It assures the citizens of Leander that their police department is among the best in the nation. Additionally, the Department must now maintain compliance with the identified standards and report annually to CALEA.

Additional information on CALEA and the accreditation process is available on Calea.org.

Our Accreditation Manager is Stephanie Hayes.

Comments Directly to CALEA

CALEA maintains an access portal that allows for comment and feedback with regard to the Leander Police Department when we are seeking reaccreditation status. Access is provided as an opportunity for comments, commendations, and other information regarding the Leander Police Department's quality of service or other information relevant to the accreditation process.