Coral Gables police among top 1% nationally after 10th accreditation

By Coral Gables Gazette staff

Coral Gables Police Chief Ed Hudak still remembers when the police department he now heads went through its first Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) process in the early 1990s. And he says it wasn’t pretty.

“It was painstaking to say the least,” Hudak recounted. “There was a lot of pushback to the point that when we first got it we gave everybody a day off.” But what were growing pains eventually became the department’s modus operandi, according to the chief.

“What was a burden at the time has become our method of acknowledging the excellence of the department,” Hudak said. “We didn’t appreciate it then. Now as chief, it has become ingrained in the way Coral Gables does its business.”

Hudak spoke about the department’s long relationship with the accreditation program as the City Commission formally recognized the Coral Gables Police Department for earning its 10th CALEA accreditation during the March 10 commission meeting.

How the accreditation process works

The department officially received the latest reaccreditation on Nov. 15 following a rigorous review process that evaluates policies, procedures and operations against internationally recognized public safety standards.

“This process begins with a rigorous self-assessment requiring a review of policies, practices and processes against internationally accepted public safety standards,” Hudak told commissioners.

The review is followed by an independent evaluation conducted by assessors with public safety experience who examine the department’s operations in detail.

Retired Coral Gables police lieutenant Alex Roffe, who now serves part time as the department’s accreditation manager, explained that the reaccreditation process runs on a four-year cycle.

“The assessment is conducted remotely by an assessor who reviews policy and procedure and documents that we are in continued compliance,” Roffe said. “In addition, there is an annual report and statistical data provided to CALEA.”

During the fourth year of the cycle, assessors conduct an on-site review of the department’s operations. That includes interviews with officers, supervisors and staff, facility inspections and operational observations such as ride-alongs.

“They go around 360 degrees to make sure we are doing what we should be doing,” Roffe said.

A culture of professional standards

Following the review, assessors prepare a formal report documenting their findings, which is presented during a hearing where the accreditation commission determines whether reaccreditation will be granted. “I’m happy to say they granted it,” Roffe said.

The Coral Gables Police Department earned reaccreditation with “Excellence,” one of the highest designations available under the CALEA program. Hudak said the department’s consistent performance has placed it among the very top law enforcement agencies participating in the program. “When you have 460 standards and you hit every level every time, that becomes the culture of the department,” Hudak said. “We have been in the top one percent of all departments as far as how we do business here.”

He added that the accreditation process now shapes how new officers are trained and how the department approaches its daily work. “Our officers, even the new ones, are going to learn the same way we have over the last 10 years,” Hudak said.

During the meeting, the commission also presented Roffe with a certificate of appreciation recognizing his leadership in managing the accreditation process and helping the department maintain compliance with the program’s demanding standards.

Hudak described Roffe as one of the department’s “stalwarts” in the accreditation effort and credited him with helping guide the department through multiple review cycles.

Next step: Accrediting the communications division

Looking ahead, Hudak said the city is now pursuing accreditation for its communications division for the first time — an effort that would complement existing accreditations held by the police and fire departments.

He said the effort has been made possible in part by the city’s recent technological overhaul, including the implementation of the Mark43 public safety platform, a cloud-based computer-aided dispatch and records management system adopted in 2024.

Hudak has said the platform has modernized dispatch operations, improved information sharing between agencies and created a more professional and efficient communications environment. “In the last three years we have turned around and become so professional that we are moving forward with accrediting our communications section at light speed,” Hudak said.

If successful, the move would place Coral Gables among a relatively small group of municipalities whose police, fire and communications operations all meet the internationally recognized CALEA standards.

For Hudak, the milestone reflects decades of work building a culture of accountability and professionalism within the department. “We are extremely proud to represent this city every day on the national level,” he said.