On September 8, 2005 the Federal Law Enforcement Training Accreditation (FLETA) Board of Directors granted Academy Accreditation status to the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Diplomatic Security, Office of Training and Performance Supportin Dunn Loring, VA; and, Program Accreditation to the Department of Energy, National Training Center's Basic Security Police Officer Training Program in Albuquerque, NM. These are the first two Federal law enforcement agencies to receive FLETA Accreditation. FLETA Board Chairperson Sharon Henegan characterizes this event as "a milestone for Federal law enforcement."
Accreditation is a process that has been used within the United States for more than 200 years as a proven method for assisting hospitals, schools, and other institutions in the evaluation and improvement of their overall performance and effectiveness. More recently, it has become a practice in state and local law enforcement. In response to concerns regarding the ability of federal law enforcement to carry out the missions of their respective organizations, the U. S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) provided funding to establish the Office of Accreditation and develop standards and an accreditation process for Federal law enforcement training. The standards for FLETA Accreditation were established by a core group of training professionals from Federal agencies and approved by the FLETA Board of Directors in March of 2005.
Chairperson Henegan advised that although there are numerous Federal law enforcement agencies which have begun the accreditation process, special recognition should be given to the Department of State and the Department of Energy as the first two agencies to be successfully accredited. "Through the Accreditation process, the Department of State and the Department of Energy have established their agencies commitment to excellence and professionalism. We congratulate them on this achievement, applaud their leadership, and thank all who contributed to this success."
To maintain their accreditation status, both agencies are required to submit annual reports to the FLETA Board, and participate in a Re-Accreditation process every three years.