Lake Norman Publications

Law enforcement communications accreditation shows MPD pursuit of excellence




Jennifer Harris. /Courtesy MPD

MOORESVILLE – The Mooresville Police Department’s Communications Division is working to obtain accreditation through the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, better known as CALEA. While MPD has been accredited since 2015, Jennifer Harris is leading the charge to get the Department’s Communications Division accredited as well, with the first on-site visit from CALEA scheduled this month.

For departments across the country to obtain CALEA, they must develop hundreds of procedures, policies and protocols for their respective agency to follow. Harris, a 26-year law enforcement veteran, serves as MPD’s CALEA Accreditation Manager and is responsible for the initial accreditation as well as ongoing assessments necessary to continue holding the accreditation. 

For the Police Department’s initial accreditation, Harris revised and reviewed all department policies and created new ones to meet CALEA standards. Every year, CALEA assessors (not affiliated with MPD) ensure that 25 percent of all the department’s policies and procedures meet established CALEA standards. Then every four years, assessors visit the Mooresville Police Department to ensure all standards are up to par by conducting interviews with various police department divisions, examine policies and procedures, and interview town staff and members of the community. 

Since MPD’s first accreditation in 2015, staff have completed a rigorous self-assessment, requiring a review of policies, procedures, and processes against 180 internationally accepted public safety standards and best practices. Harris also serves as a Certified Accreditation Manager through CALEA and is the lead assessor for the State of North Carolina.

She’s responsible for the initial assessment and all follow up assessments. Harris was instrumental in helping Concord and Statesville Police Departments with their assessments, serving as a mentor for both agencies. 

The Mooresville Department believes in department-wide excellence, so in February 2021, MPD Communications signed a contract with CALEA and began a two-year process to obtain national accreditation. MPD Communicators will have their first on-site visit from CALEA in February 2023 to become accredited. 

The Department completed its third assessment by independent CALEA assessors with significant public safety experience in March 2022. The assessors received public feedback to promote community trust and engagement as well as structured interviews with select agency personnel, community members, external partners, and others with knowledge to assess MPD’s effectiveness and overall service and delivery capabilities.

The Mooresville Police Department is extremely proud to be a CALEA Accredited Law Enforcement Agency. Accreditation is a continuous process and serves as the foundation for a successful, well managed, transparent, and community-focused public safety agency. MPD is required to maintain its accredited status by always remaining in compliance with all 180 Law Enforcement standards and 207 Communications standards while being subject to annual assessments.

– Dave Harding is the Mooresville Police Department’s Crime Prevention & Community Outreach Officer. This is part of a Citizen series encouraging area law enforcement agencies to share information about operations and personnel.

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