Mayor Bill Haslam and Police Chief Sterling Owen announced that the Knoxville Police Department's Training Academy was awarded Flagship status at the CALEA Conference on November 20, 2010.

A Flagship Agency represents an extraordinary example of excellence in an accredited law enforcement agency.

The presentation was made during the CALEA (or Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc.) conference, held in Garden Grove, California.

"I'm very pleased that the Knoxville Police Department has been recognized again for its excellence, in this instance for the academy," said Mayor Bill Haslam. "Honors like this are something we've come to expect for the KPD, but these recognitions are also something we never take for granted. We have a terrific group of officers and employees in the Knoxville Police Department and their skill and dedication help make Knoxville a great place to live." 

The designation as a Flagship police department training academy marks the first time that a municipal agency has been awarded duel Flagship status by CALEA. The organization awarded the Knoxville Police Department Flagship status in November 2009.

The Flagship agencies provide other law enforcement departments with guidance and examples of best practices.

"This is more than a high achievement for our training academy," Chief Owen said. "This represents an extraordinary level of professionalism, compliance, and policy development that is at the core of our mission of providing the best trained officers for the citizens of Knoxville." 

The Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA) selects flagship agencies based on their past awards, current assessment and overall professional standing in the public safety community.

A Flagship Agency must meet the following minimum criteria:

Must have a minimum of two previous consecutive accreditation awards.

Must not have conditions or noncompliance issues on most recent past award.

Must not have noncompliance issues, or be recommended for conditions on current assessment.

Current Assessment Report must have limited file maintenance and applied discretion issues.

Current Assessment Report must not have issues involving life, safety, and security standards.

Must not currently be affected by issues that detract from the tenets or goals of accreditation and/or the Flagship Program.

CALEA was established in 1979 by the International Association of Chiefs of Police; the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives; National Sheriffs Association and the Police Executive Research Forum to provide standards of professional excellence that would help improve law enforcement and enhance it as a profession.

The founding groups also wanted to create a credentialing body that would recognize law enforcement agencies that achieve a high level of performance.