Sheriff’s Office Seeks Public Input in Accreditation

The Clay County Sheriff’s Office is pursuing national accreditation and seeks public input as part of that process.

The Sheriff’s Office is working to be only the third sheriff’s office in Missouri to attain accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA).

Clay County residents are invited to log in to the Sheriff’s Office’s CALEA portal to provide comments about the agency’s compliance with CALEA standards, engagement in the service community, delivery of public safety services, and overall candidacy for accreditation. The comments can be commendations or concerns. 

The Clay County Sheriff’s Office began the three-year CALEA accreditation process in 2021.

CALEA accreditation increases a law enforcement agency’s transparency, accountability, and integrity and reduces risk and liability. It involves meeting more than 480 specific standards in policy and practice. The Sheriff’s Office also must provide proof all those standards are met on a regular basis. The standards were developed based on international best practices in public safety through the combined efforts of the International Association of Chiefs of Police, National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives, National Sheriffs’ Association and the Police Executive Research Forum.

KPGZ News - Brian Watts contributed to this story