Newark Police Department Achieves Re-Accreditation For 10th Time

On March 14, 2026, the Newark Police Department was re-accredited for the 10th time by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA).   CALEA certification demonstrates that the Newark Police Department is in compliance with 467 standards for law enforcement agencies.

The re-accreditation process is ongoing and has annual reviews.   This is followed by an on-site review of the Newark Police Department’s policies and practices by an assessment team appointed by CALEA.    That onsite review occurred in November 2025, where the assessors spoke with agency employees, members of the public, community stakeholders, and other partners, who shared information about the agency and its practices.

Chief Mark Farrall, Deputy Chief Kevin Feeney, Accreditation Manager Mr. Gerald Bryda, and PSAP Manager Brian Cannon traveled to CALEA’s conference in Tucson, AZ, to answer questions from CALEA commissioners about the agency.  The Newark Police Department was awarded re-accreditation for both the Police and the PSAP Center.

The Newark Police Department achieved “Advanced Law Enforcement Re-Accreditation” with the Meritorious designation, signifying that it has maintained this standard since 1997.   Only about five percent of law enforcement agencies achieve accreditation with CALEA, with fewer for this duration.

The Newark Police Department’s Communications Center, which receives 911 calls in the City of Newark, sought and received its first “Communications Re-Accreditation.”  The Communications Center was required to meet 210 standards for police communications centers.    The Communications Center continues to be one of the few in the United States to be accredited, with only 150 PSAPs achieving this standard, despite over 6000 in existence.

About CALEA: 

The CALEA Accreditation programs provide public safety agencies with an opportunity to voluntarily meet an established set of professional standards, which require:

• Comprehensive and uniform written directives that clearly define authority, performance, and responsibilities
• Reports and analyses to make fact-based and informed management decisions.
• Preparedness to address natural or man-made critical incidents
• Community relationship-building and maintenance
• Independent review by subject matter experts
• Continuous pursuit of excellence through annual reviews and other assessment measures