NPD pursues accreditation through Oregon Accreditation Alliance
On September 7, 2021, the Nome Common Council authorized and directed the Nome Police Department to pursue accreditation. Now, seven months later, The Nome Nugget sat down with NPD Chief Mike Heintzelman, Deputy Chief Bob Pruckner and accreditation manager Sergeant Gray Harrison to learn about the process and what it means for Nome.
“We knew that we would be able to change what is perceived about the Nome Police Department, and one of the things that accreditation does is set the stage. The police will have the best practices from across the nation. Accountability is a big portion of it.” Heintzelman said.
Both Heintzelman and Pruckner came to Nome from an accredited police department, so they’ve seen the process. “Initially, it left me scratching my head, but I didn’t realize until it was fully implemented how successful the program is,” Heintzelman continued.
One example he gave from his former job was keeping track of things. An officer could come in and take a couple of ticket books, but nothing would be written down to say that they had taken the item. Same with things like flares, and even evidence. Accreditation really gave an air of accountability to every portion of the police department, said Heintzelman.
Pruckner said that once accredited, departments must get reaccredited every couple of years to prove that they’re still living up to the standards.
Having looked at several accreditation agencies, NPD is pursuing their accreditation through the Oregon Accreditation Alliance, OAA for short. According to their website, the OAA “exists to improve the quality and delivery of law enforcement services to the citizens of its communities, by endorsing and assisting in the processes of national and state accreditation.” While Oregon might seem like an odd choice, Harrison explained that their laws are similar, and several other police departments in Alaska have been accredited through OAA. Soldotna was the first, and in January of 2022, Juneau was awarded a three-year accreditation. Heintzelman noted that Kenai and Fairbanks had both expressed interest in pursuing accreditation as well.
At least 31 states have their own accrediting bodies, and some are nation-wide. Another such accreditor is CALEA, the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies. CALEA is international, but is tailored to larger places, explained Heintzelman, and many of the metrics that the department would be assessed on don’t apply to Nome, like SWAT teams or helicopter patrols. By comparison, the Chesterfield County Police Department, where Heintzelman and Pruckner worked, has over 500 officers. The only CALEA-accredited law enforcement agency in Alaska is the Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport Police and Fire Department.
NPD’s accreditation manager Gray Harrison explained that the timeline to complete the program varies depending on what the department needs to do to reach the standards. This can take up to two years. He will have to make sure that buildings are up to code, security cameras are installed, and the department is trained in the use of special software, called PowerDMS.
He will go through the accreditation policy book and prove that the department meets over 100 points, starting with an oath of office to inventory of firearms to uniforms and
annual trainings.
Accreditation is not just for the sworn officers. Because the dispatch is housed inside the NPD, Harrison will also ensure that the communications side of things gets accredited, too, checking the 911 policy and if there is a “Dispatch-To-Go Kit” in case of a fire at the Public Safety Building.
“Once we meet accreditation and they send a site visit assessor here, overall, it should be pretty easy to keep up, because you’ll have reminders in place, policy updates will come automatically. The hardest part is getting accredited,” Harrison said.
“It’s really going to encompass every part of this department, from the training standards to the property and evidence room to uniform operations, patrols, staffing, it’s all going to be part of that,” Pruckner said.
“Everything will be standardized,” Harrison explained, “it’s almost like getting a Better Business Bureau certification, just for police and dispatch.”
This standardization is the big sell of accreditation, ensuring that everyone operates in the same way. “I think they will see more consistency in their services,” Pruckner said.
The proof portion is to have a third-party organization confirm that NPD is following the best practices. “Accreditation confirms what you’re doing,” Pruckner explained, “it’s a confirmation of your practices.” It also allows for consistency into the future, and the expectations that the new-found affirmation of professionalism will continue.
Deputy Chief Pruckner said that there is an advantage to being accredited as the department seeks applicants to fill their four vacancies. “Officers want to go to professional places. Being an accredited agency helps you attract better qualified candidates.”
Accreditation is not without cost. In addition to the accreditation fee and a small annual fee, much of the cost will come from having to make sure that things are in compliance. The city will need an impound lot, and the NPD will have to pay for the fencing, for example. While they admitted it was too early to have an accurate figure yet, Pruckner said that it “won’t break the taxpayer.” Sergeant Harrison said that accreditation also reduces liability. Following the Public Safety Advisory Committee’s endorsement of the accreditation process last June, the Nugget reported that the City’s insurance provider will give the NPD a reduction on premiums as an incentive for accreditation.
Chief Heintzelman said that the Advisory Committee has been very supportive of the NPD efforts in getting accredited. “They want to see it go through, as quickly as it can, but there’s no strict timeline. It’s going to take some time, but as long as we keep vigilant at the process, we’ll eventually get there.”
“I know we’ve had some stains on the past, but the guys that are here now are all top shelf folks, and I know that the department is heading in the right direction. I know that it’s something we all share a common desire to have done,” Heintzelman said.
Under a section on the PowerDMS website titled “What accreditation is not,” is a reminder that “Accreditation is not an end-all, beall solution to end negative public perceptions of policing. Good policies alone don’t equate to effective policing or community trust. Additionally, accreditation isn’t effective if policies aren’t accessible, officers aren’t properly trained, or corrective action isn’t taken when a policy or procedure is violated.
“Building and maintaining trust with your community involves recruitment, hiring, training, community engagement, and transparency. Accreditation will promote each of these efforts and help agency’s demonstrate, to themselves and the public, their desire to learn and continuously improve.”