On October 11, 2018, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office achieved “Triple Crown” status with the National Sheriff’s Association (NSA). The “Triple Crown” designation is attained when simultaneous accreditations by the American Correctional Association (ACA), the National Commission on Correction Health Care (NCCHC), and the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) is achieved.

According to the NSA, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office is “one of only 44 sheriffs’ offices (a total of 63 awards) in the United States to have attained this status.”

On July 31, 2018, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office became accredited through the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA). The Office met 167 internationally accepted standards for the operation of police organizations and was found compliant following an on-site assessment.

On April 27, 2018, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office earned its first Illinois Law Enforcement Accreditation Program (ILEAP), accreditation. The Office met 67 ILEAP standards divided into four general subject areas: Administration, Operations, Personnel, and Training and was found compliant following an on-site assessment.

In October 2016, the Lake County Jail successfully garnered its fourth consecutive accreditation from the American Correctional Association. Standards set by ACA reflect practical up-to-date policies and procedures and function as a management tool for agencies and facilities throughout the world. In addition, the Adult Corrections Facility earned the accreditation of the National Commission on Correctional Health Care for the provision of health services in December 2016.

The Accreditation Advantage

Advantages of being an accredited facility include improvement of staff training and development, establishing measurable criteria for upgrading operations, improving staff morale and professionalism, creating a safer environment for staff, the public, and incarcerated offenders, providing performance-based benefits and reducing liability insurance costs.