Accreditation
New York Law Enforcement Accreditation Program
In 1986 a planning committee was formed to explore the possibility of a state accreditation program. Representatives from the State Chiefs Association, The State Sheriffs Association and the Division of Criminal Justice Services served on this committee. In 1987 enabling legislation was introduced in the State Senate and Assembly and the bill was signed into law in 1988. In 1989 the New York State Law Enforcement Accreditation Council met for the first time and the program became fully operational in December.
Accreditation is a progressive and contemporary way of helping police agencies evaluate and improve their overall performance. It provides formal recognition that an organization meets or exceeds general expectations of quality in the field. Accreditation acknowledges the implementation of policies that are conceptually sound and operationally effective.
The New York State Accreditation program has four principal goals:
To increase the effectiveness and efficiency of law enforcement agencies utilizing existing personnel, equipment and facilities to the extent possible;
To promote increased cooperation and coordination among law enforcement agencies and other agencies of the criminal justice services;
To ensure the appropriate training of law enforcement personnel; and
To promote public confidence.
The Accreditation Program is comprised of a set of 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 and litigious topics as high-speed pursuits, roadblocks, patrol, and unusual occurrences.
The Rotterdam Police Department was initially accredited in 2001 under Chief James J. Hamilton. The Department completed its re-accreditation in 2006, 2011, 2016 and again in 2021.