HOWELL — The Howell Police Department has been awarded accreditation from the New Jersey State Association of Chiefs of Police through its New Jersey Law Enforcement Accreditation Commission (NJLEAC).
According to information provided by police, an assessment team visited the Howell Police Department for two days in August to perform an on-site assessment. The assessment team subsequently recommended accreditation to the commission at the culmination of that assessment.
The police department’s accreditation manager is Sgt. David Flaherty.
The NJLEAC accreditation was completed within an eight-phase process that started with an application and evolved through self-assessment, policy development, mock assessment, an on-site review, public hearing, commission review and finally accreditation.
The NJLEAC accreditation process required an in-depth review of every aspect of the Howell Police Department’s organization, management, operations and administration, according to the press release. To achieve accreditation, the police department was required to comply with best practice standards in four areas: policy and procedures, administration, operations, and support services.
The Howell Police Department has also received recognition through alliance from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies.
According to the press release, accreditation is a progressive and time-proven way of helping law enforcement agencies calculate and improve their overall performance. The foundation of accreditation lies in the adoption of standards containing a clear statement of professional objectives.
Participating agencies conduct a thorough self-analysis to determine how existing operations can be adapted to meet these objectives. When the procedures are in place, a team of trained assessors verifies that applicable standards have been successfully implemented.
Accreditation status represents a significant professional achievement, according to the press release. Accreditation acknowledges the implementation of policies and procedures that are conceptually sound and operationally effective.
Howell Police Chief Ron Carter said, “This recognition could not have been achieved during the past economic recession and staff reductions without the efforts of all the employees of this agency (sworn police officers and civilian staff), during the most stressful period in the history of this department.”