Although a small but vocal group of critics consider accreditation to be an expensive and unnecessary attempt to impose vague nationwide standards on communities dealing with very different problems, police agencies of varying sizes regard accreditation as a useful objective measure of their value and effectiveness of police forces. Practical advantages include reduced insurance rates and the protection of some police officers from the possibility of lawsuits. Besides the expenses of making improvements to satisfy CALEA standards, each department must pay a self-assessment fee of about $4,000 to $16,000, based on size, as well as the cost of hosting an onsite team of assessors for a week. Also, at least one senior police officer may spend the entire work week on the process. Obstacles to accreditation may include funding, a lack of understanding from community leaders and elected officials, the failure to give every member of the agency meaningful involvement in the process, and personnel changes. Accreditation ultimately means that a police agency must operate under a set of written policies covering every topic. It also encourages research and development, as well as modern management practices to improve the workings of the department. Case examples and questions and answers about accreditation