About the Commission

The Mississippi Association of Chiefs of Police and the Mississippi Sheriffs’ Association pursued the concept and development of a voluntary statewide law enforcement accreditation program for Mississippi. Their efforts resulted in a staff position within the Public Safety Planning Division under the Peace Officer Standards and Training Section, with the direction to begin work on the accreditation program.

The Mississippi Law Enforcement Accreditation Commission was established, consisting of commissioners appointed by the Mississippi Association of Chiefs of Police, the Mississippi Sheriffs’ Association, the Municipal and County Associations, and the Mississippi Department of Public Safety. Personnel from the Mississippi Board on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Training provide support services to the Commission.

In developing this program, the Commission recognized the somewhat limited financial and manpower resources of a great many law enforcement agencies, and developed standards that would not place overwhelming demands on those resources.

Relationship to CALEA

The MSLEAC program is not in competition with the national accreditation body, the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA). It offers an affordable method of professionalising police and sheriff’s departments, tailored to the needs of Mississippi jurisdictions. Mississippi agencies currently accredited by CALEA are not required to build a separate set of files for the Mississippi program.