Law Enforcement Accreditation

The Westfield Police Department is a nationally accredited law enforcement agency, accredited through the Commission on Accreditation of Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA). The department received initial accreditation through the CALEA in April of 2016. We received reaccreditation in 2020 ensuring continued compliance with CALEA standards. In 2021, the Westfield Police Department sought and received federal certification under the Presidential Executive Order on Safe Policing for Safe Communities, about the Use of Force and related policies.

CALEA Accreditation serves as the International Gold Standard for Public Safety Agencies. Accreditation is considered to be one of the highest honors a law enforcement agency can obtain and identifies the nationally recognized level of professional excellence in law enforcement management and service. The Goals of CALEA are: (1) strengthen crime prevention; (2) formalize essential management procedures; (3) establish fair and nondiscriminatory personnel practices; (4) improve service delivery; (5) solidify interagency cooperation and coordination; and (6) boost citizen and staff confidence in the agency. The purpose of CALEA is to improve the delivery of public safety services by maintaining a body of professional standards that support the administration of accreditation programs.

As part of the current process, an Accreditation Public Comment Portal has been implemented. The purpose of this public portal is to receive comments regarding our 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 participating agencies with information to support continuous improvement and to foster the pursuit of professional excellence.

To comment on the Westfield Police Accreditation Public Comment Portal.

The City of Westfield and Westfield Police Department continue to demonstrate a commitment to professional excellence through accreditation. Visi the Calea Website.