Accreditation Program Description
Accreditation is the
on going process whereby agencies evaluate policy and procedure against
established criteria, and have compliance with that criteria verified by an
independent and authoritative body. The criteria, or standards, are policy
development guidelines that represent a level of quality service delivery. The
true indicator of compliance, however, lies with an evaluation by trained,
independent professional peers. The establishment of meaningful and professional
standards and an evaluation for compliance to those standards are, therefore,
the two fundamentals of an accreditation program.
The attitudes,
training, and actions of employees of Virginia’s law enforcement agencies best
reflect compliance with the standards used to create policies and procedures.
Policy and procedure based on
professional standards will not ensure a crime-free environment for citizens,
nor will it ensure an absence of litigation against law enforcement agencies and
executives. However, effective and comprehensive leadership through
professionally based policy development directly influences the departments’
capacity to deliver mandated services, with a greatly enhanced ability to cope
with the threat of successful
litigation.
The ultimate goal of
all accreditation programs is enhanced service delivery.
The development of department policy is the most significant duty of
Sheriffs and Chiefs of Police. The
Virginia Law Enforcement Professional Standards Commission consists of an
Executive Board appointed by