It is important to distinguish between the word (noun) profession and the word (adjective) professional because it is doubtful if the police will ever become a true profession, but they can probably obtain the level of professional policing. The following chart summarizes some of the important distinctions:
 

Policing as a Profession	Professional Policing
1. an occupation with high social status and prestige (doctors, lawyers, clergy, professors, etc) 2. a specialized, white collar occupation that requires considerable formal education, strict entry standards for membership, a self-generated body of theoretical knowledge, a socially enforced code of ethics, and political autonomy to control its own destiny	1. an occupation consisting of people with special skills who are usually recognized for their non-amateur talents with money (athletes, plumbers, electricians, repairmen) 2. a specialized, any collar occupation with a defined area of expertise, its own professional associations, codes of appropriate conduct, and a sense of customer service (like the service ideal of a profession)

    Professional organizations tend to indicate their desire to become a profession in various ways. Some of these include: civilianization (a high degree of staff professionalism); a "peer group" control structure (democratic leadership); a relatively flat hierarchy of authority (wide span of control); a low degree of bureaucratic rules and regulations (less paperwork); and incentive systems designed to increase autonomy (research grant opportunities or professional development funds). It is important to think of professional organizations as the opposite of bureaucratic organizations. One of today's biggest social problems is that emerging professions get side-railed by becoming bureaucracies instead of professions (a process that sociologists call the increasing bureaucraticization of professional organizations).

    Accreditation is but one of four (4) ways to achieve recognition of efforts at professionalism. The four ways are:

• licensing - results in a little slip of paper you post in your workplace (barbers, cosmetologists, etc.)

• certification - results in a framed award you post in your office or filing cabinet (social workers, etc.)

• registration - results in your name and some indication of your performance record being kept in a database by a private or public organization (dietitians, chiropractors, etc.)

• accreditation - results in a large, framed certificate you post in your front office (schools, police agencies, etc.)

    A license is permission to do something that is otherwise forbidden.  Licenses are usually required or mandatory.  The permission is power to engage in some dangerous activity, like use of deadly weapons, tools, or something that has life-and-death implications.  Licenses are always privileges, not rights, bestowed by the government at the federal, state, or local level.  They tend to accomplish restricting entry into a profession quite well.

    A certificate is a statement or declaration that one has completed a course of study, passed an examination, or met the conditions of some competency-based or skills-based criteria.  A certificate is a private, civil matter based on the idea of right to work.  It is a statement of qualification that is intended to provide the consumer with some information about the professional.  It also allows the professional to advertise or market themself in a competitive marketplace.  Other purposes of certificates are to set standards in emerging professions and to educate the public.

    A registration rrecord is similar to certification.  Database records are kept by private groups such as watchdog foundations or non-profit organizations, and some of the information (like the names of professionals who have been sued) is released to the public.  Other groups, particularly state and federal agencies, who maintain such databases ordinarily do not release information to the public.

   Accreditation is the receipt of a certificate formally recognizing the agency as conforming to some specific body of regulations and standards. It is also a status awarded to agencies that meet or exceed all requirements of the standard. It is essentially a compliance audit. It is good for five years, then you must get reaccredited.

    Upon the completion of various in-service training programs (firearms qualification, CPR, investigation skills, crash and DUI investigations), officers receive certification via a "certificate" that details the number of hours (6 hours-40 hours) of training received. Some certifications, like firearms qualification and CPR, require recertification after a period of service, but most are for life and placed on your resume in hopes that it helps with promotion and/or with articulating for college credit.

HISTORY OF ACCREDITATION
    The idea of police agency accreditation began around 1979, and today, over 600 police departments are accredited because they are in compliance with 436 CALEA (Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc.) standards. CALEA is a non-profit organization that started out as an innovative idea conceived by the IACP and funded by a LEAA grant. The CALEA commission is a unique blend of civilians (university professors, business leaders, politicians) and professionals appointed by the executive boards of IACP (International Association of Chiefs of Police), NOBLE (National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives), NSA (National Sheriffs Association), and PERF (Police Executive Research Forum).

     In 1993, Florida Statute 943.125 encouraged the Florida Sheriffs Association and the Florida Police Chiefs Association to create an independent and voluntary law enforcement accreditation program. Today, over 100 law enforcement agencies of all sizes and locations area CFA Accredited in Florida with many of those also recognized by CALEA.

    The Commission for Florida Law Enforcement Accreditation, Inc. (CFA) was formed, comprised of four sheriffs, four chiefs, and one representative each from the Association of Counties, the League of Cities, and the Judiciary. The Commission meets quarterly to oversee the accreditation program and to officially accredit agencies that have passed the rigorous review process. Representatives from these Associations developed a process for accreditation which required compliance with more than 250 professional standards designed specifically for Florida law enforcement agencies. (The CFA's 250 standards cover all but 6 of the mandatory CALEA standards.)

    Once an agency applies for accreditation, they receive a copy of the standards and must begin a self-assessment study. This internal audit may take a year or more to complete; it is time-consuming and labor-intensive. Policies, procedures, and directives must all be in place and appropriate for an agency of its size. CALEA and CFA standards also specify certain kinds of equipment that the agency may have to purchase. Recruitment, selection, training, and termination of personnel are all areas of special importance. Then, once the agency is ready, an assessment team of CALEA and CFA assessors make a site visit to observe operations, collect and read all the agency's documentation, and verify compliance with the standards. Then, the whole process repeats itself every three (3) years.