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BENEFITS OF ACCREDITATION
** Controlled liability insurance costs
** Stronger defense
against lawsuits and citizen complaints
** Greater accountability within the agency
** Staunch
support from government officials
** Increased community advocacy
THE ACCREDITATION
STANDARDS ADDRESS NINE MAJOR LAW ENFORCEMENT SUBJECTS
** role, responsibilities, and relationships
with other agencies
** organization, management and administration
** personnel structure
** personnel process
** operations
** operational support
** traffic
operations
** prisoner and court-related activities
** auxiliary and technical services
GOALS OF ACCREDITATION STANDARDS
The standards help law enforcement agencies:
** strengthen crime prevention and control capabilities
** formalize essential management procedures
** establish fair and nondiscriminatory personnel practices
** improve service-delivery
** solidify interagency cooperation and coordination
** boost citizen and staff confidence in the agency.
COMPLIANCE WITH STANDARDS
Agencies that seek accreditation are required
to comply only with those standards that are specifically applicable to them. Applicability is based on two factors: an agency's
size and the functions it performs. Applicable standards are categorized as mandatory or other-than-mandatory. If an agency
cannot comply with a standard because of legislation, labor agreements, court orders, or case law, waivers can be sought from
the Commission.
"WHAT" NOT "HOW"
Seeking to establish
the best professional practices, the standards prescribe "what" agencies should be doing, but not "how"
they should be doing it. That decision is left up to the individual agency and its Chief Executive Officer.
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THE ACCREDITATION PROGRAMS
** ACCREDITATION
The Accreditation Program provides a set of law enforcement
standards and establishes and administers a process through which law enforcement agencies could demonstrate voluntarily that
they meet professionally-recognized criteria for excellence in management and service delivery.
** CERTIFICATION
The certification program provides an opportunity to have four different law enforcement functions certified independently:
communications, court security, internal affairs, property and evidence, and training. Certification may serve as a stepping
stone for law enforcement agencies that wish to participate in a professional credentialing program before or while seeking
agency-wide accreditation.
** RECOGNITION
The program may serve as a stepping stone for smaller
law enforcement agencies that wish to participate in a professional credentialing program before seeking accreditation. Recognition
Program identifies 95 standards from the 4th Edition of the Standards for Law Enforcement Agencies manual. The standards address
(1) Life, Health, & Safety issues, (2) legal & other critical requirements, and (3) conditions that reduce major risk
and high liability exposures.
** COMMUNICATIONS ACCREDITATION
The accreditation program for public
safety communications agencies is a joint effort of the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. and
the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials-International (APCOŽ).
** ALLIANCE
The
Alliance Program provides a framework for establishing relationships with state accreditation programs, and creating a tiered
or two-step process for the achievement of accreditation.
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