Knox County 911 was once again awarded full accreditation by the nationally-recognized Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA), an organization whose mission is to improve police and public safety services.

This marks the seventh straight time Knox 911 has achieved accreditation.

“This is the gold standard for public safety agencies and I’m really proud that Knox County 911 has once again received this accreditation,” said Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs. “It makes the operation more accountable to the community and residents should certainly expect to see expert quality services from Knox 911 to continue.”

Knoxville Mayor Indya Kincannon expressed her gratitude for the operation.

“I am so thankful and proud that our 911 team has received this top accreditation again,” said Mayor Kincannon. “Residents reach out to 911 when they need immediate help and they deserve the highest quality public safety services available.”

Brad Anders, executive director at Knox County Emergency Communications District, agreed.

“We are very grateful for our team performing to the high standards of CALEA accreditation,” he said. “It is a very tedious process, and our community should be very proud of the work they all do.”

Knox 911 has been accredited since 2002 and was the first 911 District to attain this distinction in the state. The accreditation is good for three years.

Additionally, Knox 911 and the Knoxville Police Department in 2004 became the first organizations ever awarded the CALEA Tri-Arc Award. Jurisdictions whose law enforcement, training academy and public safety communications all hold accreditation at the same time can earn the Tri-Arc award.

Accreditation is not easy and begins with a rigorous self-assessment, requiring a review of policies, practices, and processes against internationally accepted public safety standards. Independent public safety examiners then thoroughly review the information.

Also, public feedback is received to promote community trust and engagement, and structured interviews are conducted with select agency personnel and others with knowledge to assess the agency’s effectiveness and overall service delivery capacities. The decision to accredit is rendered by a governing body of 21 commissioners following a public hearing and review of all reporting documentation. CALEA Accreditation is a continuous process and serves as the foundation for a successful, well managed, transparent, community-focused public safety agency.