The Fort Smith Police Department ensures all our policies and procedures follow nationally-recognized principles of law enforcement. We do so through a rigorous accreditation of our policies through the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) and the Arkansas Law Enforcement Accreditation Program (ALEAP) through the Arkansas Association of Chiefs of Police.

The Fort Smith Police Department achieved accreditation in Law Enforcement in 2003, accreditation in Communications in 2007, and the final accreditation in Training Academy in 2023. This final accomplishment brings FSPD to elite status as a CALEA Tri-Arc Award winner. FSPD is the second police department in the State of Arkansas to Achieve this honor and the twenty-fifth agency in the United States. Additionally the Fort Smith Police Department earned its first Arkansas Association of Chiefs of Police ALEAP accreditation distinction in 2023. 

The Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) was established in 1979 as an initiative to standardize and improve law enforcement practices. CALEA was joined by nationally recognized law enforcement authorities including the International Association of Chiefs of Police, National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives, National Sheriff’s Association, and Police Executive Research Forum. The accreditation process is voluntary and designed to ensure that participating agencies are held to the highest possible standard of excellence. The mandates of CALEA are a living document that require participating agencies to assess and reassess their policies and procedures often to ensure the most up-to-date best practices are being implemented and followed. CALEA’s dedication to excellence comes with a lot of work and effort on the agencies involved. Every accreditation awarded to an agency comes with annual reviews of their files, interviews, and countless pieces of documentation. Every 4 years, an accredited agency welcomes assessor with CALEA into their department to allow a visual inspection of compliance in all areas of CALEA mandates. 

Similarly, the Arkansas Association of Chiefs of Police, Arkansas Law Enforcement Accreditation Program (ALEAP) is the voluntary accreditation process adopted by the state of Arkansas to hold our state law enforcement agencies to high standards in regards to our day-to-day operations. 

Members of the Fort Smith Police Department are committed to our department, community, state, and nation. We are proud to voluntarily work hard to provide the best practices and service to those we contact. Our agency believes in the benefits afforded to our community through oversight by CALEA and ALEAP.