Cartersville Police Department recently renewed its state certification through the Georgia Chiefs of Police Association for another 3 years.

Law Enforcement agencies participating in the state certification program have to comply with 116 standards. These standards must be supported by written policies, procedures, directives, and proofs that the standards are being followed during day to day operations. Prior to obtaining certification, assessors thoroughly reviewed agency standards that analyzed the role and responsibility of the department, organizational structure, personnel, operations and other areas within the department.

One hundred and six of these standards that were reviewed are established by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA), which is the national accreditation agency for law enforcement, and ten are state-specific standards established by the Georgia Chiefs of Police Association. These standards are designed to reflect the best professional practices in management, administration, operations and support services.

Being a state-certified department instills trust in the agency that officers are professional, ethical, and operating in the guidelines of the law. This in turn reduces liability and insurance costs for the city while achieving greater operational effectiveness. 

Cartersville Police Department is the only law enforcement agency in Bartow County that has received this certification and has been a state-certified agency since 2000.