Local News

December 27, 2004

Congratulations to the Egg Harbor Township and Stafford Township police departments. They are the first departments in the state to receive accreditation under the 2-year-old New Jersey Law Enforcement Accreditation Program.

What's that mean?

It means the two departments have undergone a rigorous review of their policies and procedures to ensure that they comply with the highest national standards.

So what?

Well, increasing the level of professionalism in police departments benefits all of us. Rather than operate under a patchwork of perhaps poorly defined or substandard local policies, accredited departments must prove that they meet national guidelines for police work. There are hundreds of standards on things like traffic stops, communication, jail procedures, terrorist attacks - you name it.

The accreditation process makes everyone safer (except maybe the criminally inclined) - and the departments can save money on liability premiums by being accredited. It also puts them in a better position to defend lawsuits filed against a department.

The state program is run by the N.J. Association of Police Chiefs in conjunction with the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, a national group that has established professional standards for virtually all aspects of police work.

Some New Jersey departments have already been certified under the national program, but Egg Harbor Township and Stafford Township are the first to be accredited under the state program. Taxpayers in those communities can be proud of their police departments for taking a modern, proactive approach to police work.