Kingman Police Department earns ALLEAP property and evidence accreditation, completing state 'trilogy'

Kingman Police Chief Cooper told the council Oct. 7 that the department’s property and evidence section has achieved accreditation through the Arizona Law Enforcement Accreditation Program (ALLEAP), completing what he described as the state-specific accreditation “trilogy.”

The chief said the ALLEAP property and evidence accreditation follows previous accreditations the department holds for its dispatch center and the agency generally. He described ALLEAP as a rigorous, outside-evaluation process and said ALLEAP standards are “recognized as being even more stringent than the national benchmarks established by CALEA.” Chief Cooper said the accreditation provides external accountability and positions the department well for federal grant requirements.

Chief Cooper introduced evidence technicians Betsy Halano and Krista Kufin and credited department staff and assessors who have also assisted other Arizona agencies. He said Kingman currently has three ALLEAP-trained assessors and plans to expand that number.

Why it matters: Accreditation covers evidence handling, storage and preservation practices and is intended to reinforce professional standards and public confidence; the department is now among a small number of Arizona agencies with this full set of accreditations, the chief said.