ICMA and the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA®) have announced plans to work collectively to meet both organizations’ core missions of providing valuable resources to local government public safety and management professionals.

ICMA identifies leading practices to address the needs of local governments and the management professionals that serve them globally. CALEA improves the delivery of public safety services by maintaining a body of standards that comprehensively cover contemporary public safety issues, administering an accreditation process, and recognizing professional excellence. These two organizations are broadly acknowledged as leaders in their fields, and thousands of city, town, county, and state entities rely on their programs to promote the efficient and effective delivery of public services.

As an example of the potential of this complementary partnership, CALEA publishes a best practice standard that requires participating public safety agencies to conduct time-sensitive workload assessments to promote appropriate staffing levels. ICMA has developed an effective research model to support public safety agencies in meeting this standard and understanding workload management issues. The result is the application of standards with compliance through professional resources that support good public stewardship and responsible management.

“This partnership is another example of how CALEA Accreditation programs constantly seek the very best resources to assist public safety agencies in recognizing professional excellence,” CALEA Chairperson Louis M. Dekmar stated. “ICMA is a premier local government association that understands how their work impacts the management decisions made by public safety practitioners and how those decisions affect millions of people living in thousands of communities, ranging in size from small villages and towns to large metropolitan areas.”

“ICMA and CALEA are marks of professionalism for public administrators,” says ICMA Executive Director Robert J. O’Neill, Jr., “and we are certain this new partnership will continue to advance the professional standing and capacity of both associations, as they work together to promote the very best public services possible. “CALEA has been recognized as the Gold Standard for Public Safety Agencies for more than three decades, and this relationship will assist city, town, and county managers as they search for best practices in the delivery of law enforcement services, as well as public safety training and communications.”

CALEA and ICMA members will soon see co-branded, complementary website links, shared resource pages, and collectively sponsored training sessions. The leadership of both organizations also will share resources to ensure that the development of public safety standards is reflective of contemporary research and that the members of the two organizations are aware of the benefits of participating in CALEA Accreditation with the incorporation of ICMA resources for compliance.