The borough’s Police Department earned the coveted New Jersey State Association of Chiefs of Police Re-accreditation after receiving the first accreditation three years ago.
The presentation of the honor was made at Thursday’s meeting of the Mayor and Council with Mayor Loretta Gluckstein congratulating Chief Scott Reinert on behalf of the council and the community.
Reinert had invited a team of assessors from the Chiefs Association to examine all aspects of the policies and procedures, management, operations, and support services of the department last April. At the time, the Chief pointed out that “verification by the team that the Atlantic Highlands Police Department meets the Commission’s “best practice” standards is part of a voluntary process to achieve accreditation, a highly prized recognition of law enforcement professional excellence.”
As part of the final on-site assessment, employees and members of the general public were also invited to provide comments to the assessment team.
Reinert said he sought the re-accreditation, which only approximately one-third of departments across the state achieve, since “it results in greater accountability within the agency, reduced risk and liability exposure, stronger defense against civil lawsuits, increased community advocacy, and more confidence in the agency’s ability to operate efficiently and respond to community needs.”
The award was presented by Program Director for the e Association Harry J Delgado, Ed.S at the meeting. He is the Accreditation Program Director for the NJ State Association of Chiefs of Police. The assessment team is composed of law enforcement practitioners from similar state law enforcement agencies, who review written materials, interview agency members, and visit offices and other places where compliance with the standards can be observed.
Once that phase of assessment is complete, assessors report to the full Commission, which decides if the agency has earned the status
Valid for a three-year period re-accreditation continues the mandate to submit annual reports attesting to continued compliance with standards under which it was accredited.
The New Jersey State Association of Chiefs of Police through its New Jersey Law Enforcement Accreditation Commission is the legitimate authority and accreditation agency in the state of New Jersey.
The accreditation statutes affects things like how the department will be viewed by insurance companies, and usually results grading as a lower risk. The certificate is also a “don’t tread on me” flag. Departments that are accredited are subject to much fewer frivolous lawsuits than those that are not.
There are 112 national law enforcement standards the department had to reach, maintain and practice in order to be re-accredited.
