The Tennessee Law Enforcement Accreditation (TLEA) Program announced that it has granted accreditation status to the Chattanooga Police Department.  The department was awarded this achievement during the Tennessee Association of Chiefs of Police (TACP) Annual Conference held in Murfreesboro.

To achieve accreditation with TLEA, an agency voluntarily submits to a possibly three year process of enhancing the agency’s professionalism and effectiveness utilizing 152 law enforcement standards and participating in a thorough on-site assessment. The standards address a variety of areas including organizational, operational and budget management practices.  The program is intended to encourage cooperation, recognize professional standing, develop professional services and ensure public safety throughout the State of Tennessee. The TLEA program "is a valuable and cost effective way to enhance overall agency effectiveness and professionalism," officials said.

The Chattanooga Police Department successfully accomplished TLEA accreditation by meeting criteria that measured the professionalism, organizational, and overall readiness in law enforcement policy and procedures. “The standard of excellence that is met through this process is to be admired. We are proud to recognize the hard work of this department and its staff,” stated TACP President Glenn Chrisman.

Chief Bobby Dodd said, "The members of the Chattanooga Police Department are honored to be recognized by the Tennessee Law Enforcement Accreditation (TLEA) Program. We have been accredited for the past 12 years through the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) and are currently in the progress of being reviewed for the Gold Standard reaccreditation through (CALEA). CALEA and TLEA set the standards on law enforcement policies and procedures state wide, nationwide, and even internationally for our enforcement profession.  I am very proud of the dedication and hard work put forth by the men and women of the Chattanooga Police Department in order to pursue and achieve these goals."

The Tennessee Law Enforcement Accreditation Program is a voluntary program that recognizes the excellence and professional achievement in law enforcement agencies across the State of Tennessee.  The program began in 2010 through the hard work and efforts of the Tennessee Association of Chiefs of Police. There are currently over 50 agencies involved in the state accreditation program, 80 percent of them have less than 50 sworn officers in their departments.  It takes commitment, dedication, and hard work from the agency head, agency personnel and campus leaders to meet the standards prescribed by the program. The time commitment involves up to a three-year process.