​Newtown Township Police Department Retains Accreditation

NEWTOWN TOWNSHIP, PA — The Pennsylvania Law Enforcement Accreditation Commission has voted to re-accredit the Newtown Township Police Department, noting that the department's work "demonstrates the type of leadership that law enforcement in Pennsylvania should strive for."

"I'm proud of every sworn officer and the professional support staff for their dedication and professionalism for maintaining the best standards in law enforcement as an accredited police department since May 2013," said Police Chief John Hearn.

The Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association introduced the Pennsylvania Law Enforcement Accreditation Program in July 2001. Since then, more than 375 agencies have enrolled and 189 agencies currently maintain accredited status.

Accreditation is "a progressive and time-proven way of helping institutions evaluate and improve their overall performance." The cornerstone of the strategy lies in the promulgation of standards
containing a clear statement of professional objectives.

During the accreditation process, participating administrators conduct a thorough analysis to determine how existing operations can be adapted to meet these objectives. When the procedures are in place, a team of independent professionals is assigned to verify that all applicable standards have been successfully implemented. The process culminates with a decision by an authoritative body that the institution is worthy of accreditation.

The Pennsylvania Law Enforcement Accreditation Program was 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 underlying philosophy of the program is to have a user-friendly undertaking for the departments that will result in a “success-oriented” outcome.

The benefits of accreditation?

• Establishes a credible framework for evaluating agency practices and procedures
• Reduces agency risk and exposure to lawsuits
• Decreases some liability insurance expenditures
• Improves law enforcement – community relations
• Increases employee input, interaction and confidence in the agency
• Enlarges the outlook and viewpoints of managers, officers and employees
• Identifies and highlights the capabilities and competence of the agency
• Furnishes a solid foundation for the agency to build upon for further progress
• Provides reliable methods to improve essential management procedures
• Extends agency accountability to the public and elected officials
• Enhances planning and innovative activities by all agency personnel
• Develops improved methods for providing services to the community
• Encourages problem-solving activities within the agency