Lake Zurich police earn 'gold standard' accreditation

The Lake Zurich Police Department this month was awarded national accreditation by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA).

It is the fourth reaccreditation award for the police department, after achieving initial accreditation in 2006. CALEA Accreditation is considered the "gold standard" for public safety organizations and recognized internationally, police say.

The reaccreditation is the result of a process that began in December 2019, when the department's policies, procedures, personnel, equipment and facilities, along with four years of proofs of compliance, were meticulously inspected by a team of CALEA assessors from Ohio and Canada. The assessors reviewed hundreds of standards in order to verify compliance then submitted their report with recommendation to the commission.

Police Chief Steve Husak and administrative staff appeared before the commission in an online webinar format earlier this month, and the CALEA Commission voted March 21 to approve reaccreditation.