Law Enforcement Accreditation

Expect Excellence

The men and women of the Auburn Police Department are fiercely proud that the APD is a nationally accredited law enforcement agency. Our accreditation status is awarded by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA).

The Auburn Police Department is one of only a handful of law enforcement agencies in Maine to receive national accreditation from CALEA, the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies. In 2013, we became the first agency in Maine to achieve the Gold Standard level of Accreditation, and in 2020, we became the ONLY agency in Maine to achieve Advanced Law Enforcement Accreditation status, an accomplishment of which we are very proud. Auburn remains one of only a handful of law enforcement agencies in Maine to receive national accreditation.

The Auburn Police Department must comply with 461 core standards to maintain our accreditation status. This status is granted for a period of four years, during which we must submit annual reports attesting continued compliance with those standards under which our agency was initially accredited.

CALEA accredited this agency in 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2020 and again in 2024 after determining that the APD had demonstrated compliance with all applicable standards during an in-depth assessment. CALEA assessors examined all aspects of the Auburn PD’s office policies and procedures, management, operations and support services. Our next on-site assessment will be held in 2028.

Verification by CALEA assessors that the Auburn Police Department continues to meet the Commission’s state of the art standards are part of a voluntary process to gain law enforcement re-accreditation, the highest recognition of law enforcement professional excellence. We commend and offer our sincere thanks to the men & women of the Auburn PD who work day-in and day-out to uphold the very highest standards of law enforcement excellence.

On Saturday, November 16, at a conference held in Jacksonville, FL, the Auburn PD was awarded international recognition for the 6th time by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA).

(L to R): Deputy Chief Timothy Cougle, Chief Jason Moen, and Accreditation Manager Sergeant Kristopher Bouchard at the 2024 CALEA Conference in Jacksonville, Florida, where they received the APD's 2024 Law Enforcement Accreditation certificate.

About CALEA

The Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc., (CALEA) was created in 1979 as a credentialing authority through the joint efforts of law enforcement's major executive associations:

• International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP)
• National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE)
• National Sheriffs' Association (NSA) and
• Police Executive Research Forum (PERF)

• Strengthen crime prevention and control capabilities
• Formalize essential management procedures
• Establish fair and nondiscriminatory personnel practices
• Improve service delivery
• Solidify interagency cooperation and coordination and
• Increase community and staff confidence in the agency

The CALEA Accreditation Process is a proven modern management model. Once implemented, it presents the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) with a blueprint that promotes the efficient use of resources and improves service delivery—regardless of the size, geographic location, or functional responsibilities of the agency. This accreditation program provides public safety agencies an opportunity to voluntarily demonstrate that they meet an established set of professional standards. 

Questions regarding the APD's accreditation status can be directed to Accreditation Manager, Sergeant Kristopher Bouchard in the Professional Standards Division.

Commissioners from CALEA present Deputy Chief Jason Moen, Accreditation Manager Liz Allen and Chief Phil Crowell with the APD's GOLD STANDARD Accreditation certificate in November of 2013.

From left: Craig Hartley, Jr., Executive Director of CALEA; Liz Allen, APD Accreditation Manager; Deputy Chief Jason Moen; Chief Phil Crowell; Newport News, VA Police Chief Richard Myers

Chief Jason Moen accepts APD's certificate of Advanced Law Enforcement Accreditation from CALEA Assessment Manager Karen Shepard (April 22, 2021)