Buffalo Grove Police Awarded 9th CALEA Reaccreditation

On Friday, March 26th, 2021, the Buffalo Grove Police Department successfully achieved their 9th reaccreditation (10th overall award) after a virtual hearing conducted by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA). In addition to the reaccreditation, the department was one of five agencies, out of 108 reviewed, to receive the CALEA Accreditation with Excellence Award. This credential is an additional indication of the agency’s effective use of accreditation as a model for enhanced public safety services and management professionalism.

“National accreditation is a voluntary process in which we allow our police department to be scrutinized by an assessment team and held to the highest law enforcement standards. This achievement demonstrates we are in a position to provide the utmost level of service to our community,” Chief Casstevens said.

CALEA, which began in 1979, encourages law enforcement agencies to adhere to strict best practices guidelines and procedures. This includes: safety initiatives, crime prevention, the establishment of fair and nondiscriminatory personnel practices, and increasing community confidence in their local police department.

Maintaining an accredited status is a significant accomplishment for the members of the department, but more importantly, it denotes the quality of service this agency provides the community. The police department presents “proofs of compliance”, which demonstrate the approximately 460 standards that must be maintained. “Proofs” may be examples of reports, tickets, or even physical items within the building.

Assessment teams are comprised of law enforcement professionals from similar, but out-of-state agencies. As part of the assessment, the assessors reviewed written materials, conducted interviews of personnel and community members, and viewed an in-depth video about the department. The certified CALEA Assessors assigned to Buffalo Grove’s assessment were Chief Gary Vest (Team Leader) and Retired Commander Pamela Kunz. The Accreditation Manager for the Buffalo Grove Police Department is Sergeant Robert Broussard.

Accreditation is for a four-year period during which the agency must submit annual reports, as well as participate in remote checks showing continued compliance with standards applicable to the agency. The Buffalo Grove Police Department has been accredited through CALEA since 1987 and is recognized as a Meritorious Agency for achieving accredited status for 15 or more years.