The Wilmington Police Department is proud to have been accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies since 1994.

Wilmington Police is one of roughly 950 law enforcement agencies – out of a total of nearly 18,000 – in the United States to earn this recognition, as well as one of just 32 police agencies of our size (300-500 sworn officers) to achieve and maintain Advanced Law Enforcement Accreditation.

The Wilmington Police Department was first accredited in 1994, and has been reaccredited in 1999, 2002, 2005, 2008, 2011, 2014, 2017 and 2021.

As part of the most recent reaccreditation process, a team of assessors completed an examination of all aspects of the Wilmington Police Department’s policies and procedures, management, operations and support services. The purpose of the assessment, which takes place every four years, was to determine if the agency meets all applicable standards required by the Commission in order for the agency’s accreditation to be renewed. 

The WPD again achieved Advanced Law Enforcement Accreditation, which according to the organization, “provides agencies an opportunity to go beyond the implementation of basic best practices. Advanced Law Enforcement Accreditation is available for agencies having enough human and fiscal resources to consistently exceed basic service delivery. Advanced accreditation provides agencies additional means to verify accountability to those expecting and relying upon the highest level of public safety services.”

About the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA):

According to the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies: 

The Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA®), was created in 1979 as a credentialing authority through the joint efforts of law enforcement’s major executive associations:

• International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP)
• National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE)
• National Sheriffs' Association (NSA)
• Police Executive Research Forum (PERF)

The CALEA Accreditation program seals are reserved for use by those public safety agencies that have demonstrated compliance with CALEA Standards and have been awarded CALEA Accreditation by the Commission. 

The original CALEA Law Enforcement seal, previously recognized as the corporate CALEA logo, has a rich history that serves to honor those that contributed to the development of the accreditation process. 

CALEA’s program seals are the “Marks of Professional Excellence” for today’s public safety agencies and reflect the gold standard benchmark associated with CALEA.

You can learn more about CALEA by visiting the organization’s website at www.CALEA.org.

CALEA Accreditation Public Comment Portal

The Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies Inc. (CALEA) maintains an access portal which allows for comment and feedback with regard to candidate agencies seeking initial accreditation or reaccreditation status. 

The purpose of the CALEA Public Comment Portal is to receive comments regarding an agency's compliance with CALEA standards, engagement in the service community, delivery of public safety services, and overall candidacy for accredited status. These comments can be in the form of commendations or concerns. The overall intent of the accreditation process is to provide the participating agency with information to support continuous improvement, as well as foster the pursuit of professional excellence. 

Please use this link in order to leave an accreditation related commendation or concern for the Wilmington Police Department on the CALEA Public Comment Portal: http://cimrs2.calea.org/526 

Additional information about CALEA, the accreditation process and standards can be found at:

CALEA Website
CALEA Standards for Law Enforcement Agencies 

IMPORTANT: CALEA is not an investigatory body and subsequently the public portal should not be used to submit information for such purposes.  Additionally, there will be no response other than acknowledgement to submissions; however, the information will be considered in context to its relevancy to compliance with standards and the tenets of CALEA® Accreditation.