The North Carolina State Highway Patrol was awarded national accreditation on July 28 by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA). 

Following a year-long self-assessment phase and a meticulous site-based assessment of community engagement, policy, procedures, equipment and facilities by CALEA assessors, Colonel Glenn M. McNeill, Jr., First Sergeant T. M. Koehler and NCSHP Accreditation Manager Michael Dellinger attended the CALEA conference in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Each agency being reviewed goes before CALEA’s 21-member Board of Commissioners where the commission reviews all findings and determines the agencies’ accreditation status.

The evening of the hearing, during the celebration banquet, CALEA President Craig Webre and Executive Director Craig Hartley awarded the NCSHP with accreditation, signifying excellence in public safety and commitment to community. The NCSHP now moves into CALEA’s four-year Accreditation cycle that includes four annual remote, web-based file reviews and a site-based assessment in the fourth year.

“It has been a challenging process, but to be recognized on an international level for our commitment to excellence in public safety, and more importantly, our commitment to service to the community, is truly humbling. The exceptional feedback that we received from the assessors in regards to how the Patrol conducts business and serves the community made me very proud. I can’t say enough about the hard work and dedication of the men and women of the State Highway Patrol. This award most certainly would not have been possible without their efforts and commitment,” McNeill said.

Specifically, CALEA’s goals are to: strengthen crime prevention and control capabilities; Formalize essential management procedures; establish fair and nondiscriminatory personnel practices; improve service delivery; solidify interagency cooperation and coordination; and increase community and staff confidence in the agency.

– Submitted article