Sheriff’s Office receives accreditation

MARYVILLE, TENNESSEE – Blount County Sheriff James Lee Berrong is pleased to announce the Commission on the Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) awarded the Sheriff’s Office its eighth accreditation effective April 2026. The announcement was made in Tucson, Arizona at CALEA’s spring conference. Numerous law enforcement agencies throughout the United States, Canada, and Mexico attended the conference.

CALEA is recognized as the “Gold Standard” and the premier accrediting body for law enforcement agencies. Participating agencies go through a rigorous five-step process involving self-assessment, independent and third-party reviews, extensive on-site inspections, staff interviews, and community engagement.  

This is the Blount County’s Sheriff’s Office seventh reaccreditation since receiving initial accreditation in 2003. The re-accreditation was approved by CALEA following an onsite assessment in October 2025 to examine Sheriff’s Office operations for compliance with CALEA criteria. The Sheriff’s Office has received re-accreditation consistently since initial accreditation in 2003.

The Sheriff’s Office will undergo site-based review again in October 2029; however, we are required to submit files electronically every year to stay current with accreditation.

The Blount County Sheriff’s Office is one of five Sheriff’s Offices in Tennessee to be accredited through CALEA. The assessment team conducted 30 interviews.  In the final report, the assessors highlighted that “the agency’s well-organized system of General Orders provides a clear, accessible framework that governs operations and ensures alignment with the standards of the Commission,” and “operations are supported by technology and interagency cooperation, with verified examples of collaboration between the agency and local schools, partner agencies, and county offices. In every area reviewed, operational performance is clearly grounded in written directives and supported by supervisory oversight, which is consistent with strength of agency,” and “leadership engagement during critical incident events, such as line-of-duty incidents, further illustrates the agency’s emphasis on accountability and care for its members. Supervisors also play an essential role in bridging operational activities with administrative review, ensuring that leadership remains informed of both successes and challenges.” Finally, “the professionalism observed throughout the assessment, along with the consistency between written directives and daily operations, demonstrates a mature accreditation culture and a strong internal commitment to continuous improvement.”