Lewistown police receive state accreditation after first assessment finds only minor file issues

Mister Adams, accreditation program coordinator for the Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police, presented a three-year accreditation certificate to the Lewistown Borough Police Department, saying the department met the Pennsylvania Law Enforcement Accreditation Commission’s standards.

Adams told the council the accreditation process compares a department’s policy manual and practices against 125 standards that encompass about 370 best practices. He said the assessors found only "five file maintenance issues," which the department addressed before the assessors left, and the commission granted accredited status after a unanimous vote of the commission’s members. "This certificate represents compliance with 370 best practices," Adams said.

Adams described accreditation as a multi-step process: mock assessments, a two-day onsite review by a three-person assessment team, submission of a lengthy report to the commission and a quarterly review. Accredited agencies must submit annual self-attestation reports and undergo reassessment every three years.

Adams said studies show accredited police departments are sued less often and face smaller payout amounts when suits occur. He also said accredited agencies report fewer job-related injury claims and fewer vehicle accidents, and that insurance carriers sometimes offer discounts to municipalities with accredited departments. Adams noted the accreditation standards are periodically updated; agencies are expected to comply with any new standards when they are released.

Council members congratulated the police chief and borough officials for pursuing accreditation and for the assessment team’s findings. The council was directed to the Pennsylvania Chiefs public website for a list of the standards and further information. The presentation did not contain any formal council action beyond the certificate presentation and congratulations.