The North Carolina Law Enforcement Accreditation Network (NCLEAN) was formed in 1989 through the combined efforts of several law enforcement agencies in North Carolina who were nationally accredited or in the process of becoming accredited. These departments met and agreed upon the need for a state network to assist each other in the accreditation process.

NCLEAN recognizes and supports the concept of accreditation for law enforcement agencies as administered by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. located in Fairfax VA, as a means to enhance the quality of law enforcement services.

The Purpose of NCLEAN is to serve as a non-profit organization providing a network for member agencies that will encourage communication, mutual cooperation, support and the sharing of resources throughout the state.

State networking associations coexist with the broadly designed process of accreditation to build a research base for the development of written policies and procedures and to create an opportunity to transfer the knowledge gained to other agencies.