Accreditation
The Alexandria Sheriff's Office is accredited and certified by multiple national and state organizations. The Office is nationally accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA), the American Correctional Association's Commission on Accreditation for Corrections (ACA), and the National Commission on Correctional Health Care (NCCHC). The Office holds a certification for compliance with the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) and is also Virginia state-certified by the Department of Criminal Justice Services and the Department of Corrections.
CALEA, ACA and NCCHC accreditations are voluntary and reflect the Sheriff's Office's commitment to maintaining excellence and ensuring that our polices and procedures are consistent with the high standards in law enforcement and corrections. The Office has been honored by the National Sheriff's Association with the prestigious "Triple Crown Award" for achieving these national accreditations simultaneously, something that only 51 agencies in the country have achieved.
The Sheriff's Office has held continuous accreditation with ACA since 1989, with CALEA since 1990, and with NCCHC since 1991. Most recently, the Sheriff's Office was re-accredited by CALEA in November 2022, by NCCHC in February 2023, and by ACA in August 2023. The Sheriff's Office earned our PREA certification in August 2024.
Anyone wishing to provide comments regarding the Office's compliance with CALEA standard, engagement in the service community, delivery of public safety services, and overall candidacy for accredited status may do so using this link to CALEA's public comment portal.