KPD e-News Release: Kingsport Police Department Awarded CALEA Reaccreditation for Ninth Consecutive Time

NEWS RELEASE

	Kingsport Police Department Dale Phipps, Chief of Police 200 Shelby Street • Kingsport, TN 37660 http://KingsportTN.gov/City-Services/Police-Department• www.KingsportPDBlog.com
NEWS RELEASE
SUBJECT:		Kingsport Police Department Awarded CALEA Reaccreditation for Ninth Consecutive Time
DATE:		March 31, 2021

GENERAL NARRATIVE
On Friday, March 26, 2021, the Kingsport Police Department’s Chief of Police, Dale Phipps, Professional Standards Unit Supervisor, Lieutenant Chris Tincher, and Accreditation Manager, Sergeant Glenn Cradic, appeared before the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) during their virtual Spring 2021 Conference where K.P.D. received “Advanced Meritorious Gold Standard Reaccreditation,” a distinguished award reserved for agencies that have been continuously accredited for fifteen years or more. The Kingsport Police Department has now successfully navigated through the accreditation process a total of nine times. First accredited through CALEA in 1992, the department has since maintained accreditation for over a quarter century, having been previously reaccredited in 1997, 2002, 2005, 2008, 2011, 2014, and 2017. “For nearly three decades CALEA Accreditation has given the Kingsport Police Department the ability to hold our facilities, our policies, our individual officers, and our department as a whole to the absolute highest standards and recognized best practices of professional law enforcement services,” said Chief Phipps. “Our ongoing partnership with CALEA and this most recent Reaccreditation brings abundant resources to the City of Kingsport, as well as a tremendous sense of pride for the Kingsport Police Department and the community we are sworn to serve and protect.” The CALEA Accreditation program provides public safety agencies with an opportunity to voluntarily meet, and show proof of compliance with, an established set of 459 highly regarded and broadly recognized professional law enforcement standards, which require: Comprehensive and uniform written directives that clearly define authority, performance, and responsibilities Reports and analyses to make fact-based and informed management decisions Preparedness to address natural or man-made critical incidents Community relationship-building and maintenance Independent review by subject matter experts Continuous pursuit of excellence through annual reviews and other assessment measures 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. CALEA Accreditation succeeds through: Agency Leadership Serves as a resource management tool Establishes trusted processes and best practices Provides a planning framework Encourages organizational growth and improvement Agency Personnel Ensures contemporary equipment and training Promotes sound operational decisions Establishes supportive personnel practices The Community Fosters community awareness Creates organizational transparency Promotes open dialogue and information-sharing For additional information regarding CALEA Accreditation, please visit www.CALEA.org.