The Kannapolis Police Department has once again been awarded national accreditation. This marks the ninth consecutive time the agency has achieved the accreditation honor. The department has maintained accredited status since 2000.

Kannapolis Police Chief Terry Spry, Deputy Police Chief Chris Hill, and Accreditation Manager Taylor Sloop accepted the award at the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA) Conference.

“It is an honor for our department to once again achieve this national accreditation status. It is my hope that all our citizens find comfort in knowing that our staff strives for professional excellence and are held accountable to these professional law enforcement standards,” commented Kannapolis Police Chief Terry Spry. It takes a lot of hard work and effort from everyone in our department to achieve this accreditation. I am proud of our team for maintaining the high standards that we must meet for this recognition.”

Police accreditation is a voluntary process. By participating, a police department invites an independent external review to ensure the department maintains up-to-date policies, procedures, and training. This ensures that a department follows the best practices for law enforcement and delivers exceptional services to its residents, businesses, and visitors.

Each law enforcement agency seeking accreditation is provided with 461 individual standards addressing all facets of law enforcement management, operations, and support functions. Accredited agencies must maintain compliance with all applicable mandatory standards and at least 80% of other-than-mandatory standards.

The Kannapolis Police Department was found to be in compliance with all mandatory standards and 98.21% of other-than-mandatory standards.

CALEA conducted an assessment in December 2025, during which a CALEA Assessor spent several days at the Kannapolis Police Department reviewing files, interacting with employees, and speaking to citizens.

Accreditation strengthens an agency’s accountability, both within the agency and the community, through a continuum of standards that clearly define authority, performance, and responsibilities. Being accredited can also help limit an agency’s liability and risk exposure, as it demonstrates compliance with internationally recognized law enforcement standards, as verified by a team of independent outside CALEA-trained assessors.