The Accreditation Unit has the responsibility for securing accreditation for the Office of the Sheriff Law Enforcement Services by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA). This Accreditation benefits the community thusly:

• Adherence to law enforcement standards reinforces public confidence in law enforcement agencies much the same as it does for hospitals, universities, and other professional services. 
• Written policies and procedures mandated by accreditation demonstrate the law enforcement agency intends to be responsive to and protect the rights of the community. 
• Members of the public are provided with a general unbiased evaluation of the agency, providing them with a standard on which they can measure their Sheriff's Office against other agencies. 
• Accreditation is an open process, as the agency's employees and the general public will be offered opportunities to comment personally and by letter on the agency's compliance with applicable standards. 
• Accreditation demands accountability within the agency, to the community it serves, and to local government officials.

 

 

As part of the accreditation process CALEA has established a public comment portal where residents of Durham County can offer feedback to support our continuous improvement.  Visit the portal and leave comments regarding the Durham County Sheriff's Office here. 

 Triple Crown Accreditation

The Sheriff's Office received full accreditation by CALEA in August of 1998. In 2021 we achieved the Triple Crown of Accreditation.  The Triple Crown Award was established by National Sheriff's Association to recognize those sheriff's offices that achieve simultaneous accreditation from the Commission on the Accreditation of Law Enforcement Agencies, the American Correctional Association's Commission on Accreditation for Corrections and the National Commission on Correctional Healthcare.  Achieving these accreditations individually is a daunting task.  Acquiring all three at the same time is an extraordinary feat. In fact, the Triple Crown distinction is so rare, that since the establishment of the award in 1993, fewer than 100 sheriffs' offices have qualified.