The NJ Police Chief Magazine Volume 23, Number 7 | Page 19

The New Jersey Police Chief Magazine | September 2017 NJSACOP LEAP Commission Holds Mid-Year Hearing and Awards Accreditation Harry J. Delgado, Ed.S., Accreditation Program Manager The program is completely voluntary, but those who seek it are held to the absolute highest standards of law enforcement excellence. Nineteen law enforcement agencies were invited to appear in front of the New Jersey State Association of Chiefs of Police Accreditation Commission to state their case in pursuit of accreditation after months of undergoing the rigorous process. Some agencies have invested years in pursuit of excellence by following accepted state and national best practices in law enforcement. On June 8th, the New Jersey State Association of Chiefs of Police Accreditation Commission held their mid -year hearing and reviewed the reports and testimony of nineteen law enforcement agencies seeking either accreditation or reaccreditation in the New Jersey State Association of Chiefs of Police Law Enforcement Accreditation Program (NJSACOP LEAP). The standards used to determine whether or not a police agency may become accredited reflect the current thinking and experience of law enforcement researches and experts. The following agencies received reaccreditation: Montville Police Department, Middlesex County Sheriff’s Office, Princeton Police Department, Plumsted Twp. Police Department, Howell Police Department, Englewood Cliffs Police Department, Rockaway Twp. Police Department, Sea Isle City Police Department, Fair Haven Police Department, Bloomingdale Police Department, Union County Sheriff’s Office, Old Bridge Police Department, Ventnor City Police Department, Hillsborough Police Department, Cape May County Sheriff’s Office, and Glen Rock Police Department. The New Jersey Institute of Technology Police Department, and the Milltown Police Department received their initial accreditation. The Rutgers University Police Department became the third nationally accredited agency to officially receive dual accredited status by meeting the application requirements and demonstrating compliance with NJSACOP LEAP standards. The NJSACOP LEAP—National Program allows nationally accredited agencies to pursue legitimate New Jersey State Accreditation. Rutgers Police Department's Chief Kenneth Cop in achieving state accreditation stated that, “The additional standards in the NJSACOP LEAP program cover a gap not included in either the CALEA program or the IACLEA program both of which have awarded accredited status to the Rutgers University Police Department.” The RUPD is the first law enforcement agency in the state of New Jersey that has successfully achieved all three prestigious awards. Law enforcement associations, leading educational and training institutions, government agencies, and insurance agencies have all acknowledged that any police agency who receives an accreditation certificate is holding itself and its officers to the absolute highest standards in the industry. To date, close to one hundred and ninety agencies have received accredited status through NJSACOP LEAP. For more information about our program I may be reached at [email protected]. 18