Rockland Sheriff's Department Earns Renewed Professional Accreditation

The Rockland County Sheriff's Department has passed its latest test.

The police division of the New City-based law enforcement agency has won renewed certification from the New York State Law Enforcement Accreditation Council. The council met in Albany on Thursday and renewed the Rockland County Sheriff’s Police Division’s accreditation status.

The division was granted this status for the next five years, and was presented with a plaque acknowledging the certification.

According to the New York State Division Of Criminal Justice Services, the Accreditation Program has four key goals:

1. To increase the effectiveness and efficiency of law enforcement agencies utilizing existing personnel, equipment and facilities to the extent possible;
2. To promote increased cooperation and coordination among law enforcement agencies and other agencies of the criminal justice services;
3. To ensure the appropriate training of law enforcement personnel;and
4. To promote public confidence.

The Accreditation Program includes 133 standards and is divided into three categories. Standards in the Administrative section have provisions for such topics as agency organization, fiscal management, personnel practices, and records. Training standards encompass basic and in-service instruction, as well as training for supervisors and specialized or technical assignments. Operations standards deal with such critical topics as high-speed pursuits, roadblocks, patrol and unusual occurrences.

Out of more than 550 eligible law enforcement agencies in New York State, only 138 are accredited. Rockland Sheriff Louis Falco said he is proud of this achievement.

“The road to re-accreditation was rigorous and demanding, but well worth the journey,” Falco said.

The Sheriff’s Police Division program manager, Det. Mark Swammy, was also recognized at the event and received the John Kimball O’Neil award for his work on the accreditation process.

The Police Division patrols Rockland County and protects county properties, working in conjuction with local police departments. The Sheriff's Department also operates the Rockland County Correctional Facility in New City, a Civil Division that enforces court orders and investigative units including the Bureau of Criminal Identifiation that assists local police departments with crime scene and arson probes.