CALEA is a non-profit, international credentialing authority created in 1979 to improve public safety services by establishing best practices and standards for law enforcement, public safety communications, training academies, and campus security. It is a voluntary program where agencies demonstrate professional excellence through rigorous, independent audits of their practices and procedures. The process involves a five-step, comprehensive review, including assessment of policies, procedures, and site-based evaluations to ensure compliance with standards. Accredited agencies increased public confidence, better accountability, reduced liability risks, and improved service delivery.

The Sheriff’s Office began preparing for initial accreditation in the early 2000s, and in March 2003, the BCSO achieved its initial accreditation, and through hard work and maintaining high standards, the agency has been re-accredited every accreditation cycle since then. The BCSO underwent a thorough assessment in October 2025, and will receive re-accreditation in March 2026.

The BCSO is one of five Sheriff’s Offices in Tennessee to hold accreditation through CALEA. In Blount County, Maryville and Alcoa police departments are accredited through CALEA, as well as Blount County Communications.

The Sheriff’s Office is also granted accreditation through the Tennessee Law Enforcement Accreditation (TLEA) program. The BCSO was the first law enforcement agency to receive accreditation through TLEA and has achieved re-accreditation every cycle since. To achieve accreditation through TLEA, an agency voluntarily submits to a three-year process of enhancing the agency’s professionalism and effectiveness utilizing 164 law enforcement standards and participating in a thorough on-site assessment. The standards are used to evaluate an agency’s policies which 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 BCSO successfully accomplished TLEA accreditation by meeting criteria that measured the level of professionalism, organization, and overall readiness in law enforcement policy and procedures. TLEA was created under the direction and authority of the Tennessee Association of Chiefs of Police.