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Commission on Accreditation of Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (U.S.)

image by Randy Young, 7 August 2016

Description of the flag

See also:

Description of the flag

In the US and Canada, law enforcement agencies are accredited in their work by the Commission on Accreditation of Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA). CALEA was formed in 1979 by the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE), the National Sheriffs' Association (NSA), and the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF). (So far I have been unable to find a flag that represents any of the agencies � CALEA, IACP, NOBLE, or PERF.) CALEA certifies law enforcement agencies against a series of standards and criteria. The certification process can take up to five years, and the certification is good for a period of three years after being granted.

As part of the accreditation, qualifying law enforcement agencies are presented with a flag that can be displayed to symbolize the certification they have received from CALEA. The accreditation flag can be seen in several photographs online, including
http://i.ytimg.com/vi/ETv2QBfVmQk/0.jpg, https://i.ytimg.com/vi/qUBdj_6Yt1o/hqdefault.jpg, and http://www.staradvertiser.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/web1_CTY-HPD-presser-05-copy.jpg.

The law enforcement accreditation flag features the program's logo centered on a white field. The logo itself consists of a gold eagle, facing toward the hoist, holding in its talons an olive branch toward the hoist and a sheaf of arrows toward the fly. The eagle rests within a gold laurel wreath that comes together at the bottom with a small, five-pointed gold star. A blue banner arches above the eagle and wreath with the words "LAW ENFORCEMENT" in white capital letters, while a similar banner arches below the wreath with the word "ACCREDITATION" in similar lettering.
Randy Young, 7 August 2016

The law enforcement agencies that established the Commission:

Esteban Rivera, 31 August 2022