State awards police department accreditation
NEWTOWN TOWNSHIP - The Pennsylvania Law Enforcement Accreditation Commission (PLEAC) voted unanimously to award accreditation status to the Newtown Township Police Department on June 26.
“It is very easy to say the standards are being met, but when members of outside agencies unanimously validate that our department conforms with the criteria it is a testament to every member of this police department,” said Chief Henry Pasqualini, adding that he is proud that the department is in full compliance with the 132 standards established by PLEAC.
Sergeant Mark Pentz, a 29-year veteran of the department who was named Accreditation Manager last summer, said that “without the cooperation and help from members of the department the project would not have been completed.”
The Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association introduced the Pennsylvania Law Enforcement Accreditation Program to the Commonwealth in July 2001. The Accreditation Program is designed and developed by professional law enforcement executives to provide a reasonable and cost effective plan for the professionalization of law enforcement agencies within the Commonwealth.
The program can be broken down into three steps or phases - the application, selfassessment and finally the formal assessment by law enforcement personnel who have received additional training and certification by PLEAC to become assessors. The process is ongoing and in order to maintain the status of an accredited agency the department must undergo the formal assessment every three years. It requires the department to continually review and revise departmental procedures to remain in compliance
Law enforcement accreditation is a method and an ongoing process to ensure that the Newtown Township Police Department is in compliance with national “best practices” in policing covering all aspects of law enforcement policies, procedures, and operations.
Chief Pasqualini will make a presentation to the Newtown Township Board of Supervisors at its regularly scheduled meeting on Wednesday, July 24.