Police Department State Certification
In 2020, the St. Joseph Police Department will go through the process of attaining recertification through the Missouri Police Chief’s Charitable Foundation. For most departments in Missouri, it is discretionary as to whether to participate in the state certification process. The St. Joseph Police Department first became an accredited agency through the Commission on Accreditation of Law Enforcement Agencies (
CALEA)
in 2002. The department was then re-accredited in 2005 and 2008. After the 2008 process it was decided not to seek another CALEA accreditation due to budgetary reasons. However, the department continued to maintain records showing compliance with all 198 standards of the accreditation criteria. In 2017, the department was certified by the Missouri Police Chief’s Charitable Foundation as a state accredited agency.
Why is a state certification important for our police department? There are several reasons.
- Increased community advocacy. Participation in the certification program embodies the precepts of community-oriented policing. It creates a forum in which law enforcement agencies and citizens work together to solve problems as well as preventing and addressing the challenges which confront law enforcement, while providing for a clear, recurring dialogue on community needs and expectations.
- Reduced risk and liability. Participation allows an agency to clearly demonstrate that recognized standards for law enforcement have been met and verified by a team of independent, trained assessors.
- Support from government officials. Participation provides objective evidence of an agency’s commitment to excellence in leadership, resource management and delivery of professional services. Hopefully, as a result, government officials are more confident in the agency’s ability to operate efficiently and meet community needs.
- Greater accountability. Participation strengthens an agency’s accountability both within the organization and their community, and through a continuum of standards that clearly define authority, performance and responsibility.
Policy gaps lead to increased risks for a law enforcement agency. Becoming certified helps to ensure the policies are comprehensive, effective and fair. This in turn ensures all police personnel, sworn and civilian, are able perform at the highest levels and provide the best customer service possible.
