The Metropolitan Police Department’s Training Academy, in its quest to maintain the specialized accredited status first bestowed by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) in 2011, will host an assessor next week who will examine the academy’s policies, procedures, management, operations, and support services.
Verification by CALEA that the Training Academy continues to meet state-of-the-art standards is part of a voluntary process signifying nationally recognized excellence.
“Our department’s academy offers instruction and guidance to hundreds of trainees and veteran officers throughout the year,” Chief John Drake said. “Incorporating CALEA standards into what we do ensures that our officers receive the best training to keep our city safe.”
The assessor, retired Bureau Commander Randy Nichols from the Greeneville, North Carolina Police Department, will begin his work on Monday, July 21. To achieve and maintain accreditation status, the MNPD Academy must comply with 161 specific professional standards. Reaccreditation is a thorough and demanding process, and successful completion demonstrates that our policies, practices, and procedures align with the highest levels of law enforcement professionalism.
Accreditation follows a four-year cycle, during which the MNPD must maintain electronic records to prove compliance. These records are reviewed remotely each year, culminating in a site-based assessment in the fourth year. After completing his review of the MNPD Academy, Assessor Nichols will report to the full Commission, which then determines whether to grant reaccreditation.
CALEA has developed a public access portal through which community members can provide comments about the MNPD’s service to our city and its commitment to constantly strive to be a model American law enforcement agency. The portal can be found at the link found here: About the Nashville Police Academy
Important: This portal belongs to CALEA, not the MNPD. CALEA is not an investigatory body and subsequently the public portal should not be used to submit information for such purposes. There will be no response to portal submissions other than acknowledgement by CALEA that a submission was received. However, any information received will be considered in the context of the department being able to continue meeting the state-of-the-art standards adopted by CALEA.