ABSTRACT
The final chapter reveals that police accreditation, in theory, establishes and maintains the benchmark standards for law enforcement agencies, which assists police departments in operating more effectively and professionally and promotes trust and legitimacy in their community. The narrative surrounding modern policing is public accountability and transparency, which substantially influences the public’s perception of their legitimacy. These challenges for law enforcement compel leaders to weigh the benefits of police accreditation. Law Enforcement leaders are being challenged under “The Sword of Damocles.” Contemporary concerns and protests about the increase in violent crime, police violence, and the demand for reform are the main features of the American policing landscape. Law enforcement leaders are now confronting the need to reimagine the role of policing under scrutiny. Leaders from law enforcement, professional police organizations, and scholars assess accreditation’s role in police reform, the critical role of leadership, and the need for law enforcement agencies to adopt “best practices” introduced for “21st-century policing.”
