On Thursday March 22, 2007 Chief William A. Nally of Lacey Township enrolled his department in the New Jersey State Association of Chiefs of Police (NJSACOP) Accreditation Program making Lacey the 100^th department to apply for state-wide accreditation through NJLEAC (New Jersey Law Enforcement Accreditation Committee.)   Departments from nineteen of the state’s 21 counties now are enrolled.

            Long Hill Police Chief Michael Peoples, NJLEAC Chairman explained what accreditation represents.  “This coveted status represents a significant benchmark accomplishment in the professional performance of any law enforcement agency.  It signifies the highest level of professional organization and a commitment to excellence that only a few other police agencies thus far have achieved.”  

            Lloyd E. Nippins III, Accreditation Program Manager for NJSACOP describes accreditation as a time-proven means of helping law enforcement agencies evaluate and improve their organization’s overall performance.  “The founding principal of accreditation lies in the adoption of professional standards that contain a clear statement of professional objectives.  Participating agencies conduct a thorough self-analysis to determine how to adapt their current operations to meet these standards and objectives.”

            The formal accreditation process begins with an application from the police agency.  A “mock” evaluation is used to identify any issues or areas of concern that might not meet NJLEAC standards.  Approximately 6-9 months after the “mock” has been completed, the final evaluation, an intensive, three-day, on-site evaluation of all departmental procedures and policies, follows.  The evaluation now involves verifying compliance of more than 110 separate law enforcement policies and standards and touches upon every aspect of policing from racial profiling to administrative procedures; from operations to promotions; from use of force to pursuit policy. 

            The final evaluation report, which is submitted to each NJLEAC commissioner by the assessment team leader, represents a comprehensive, complete and detailed analysis of the subject department and usually is 25-30 pages.  Upon request, mentors are assigned to individual department accreditation coordinators to assist in the process. 

            Organizations that receive accreditation are re-evaluated every three years to ensure that they maintain accreditation standards.  They also are eligible to apply for national CALEA (Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies) recognition.  Both NJLEAC and CALEA accredited organizations qualify for significant discounts in their liability insurance which helps justify the time, effort and expense involved in achieving accreditation. 

            Only 18 Police Departments in the entire state have qualified since the NJLEAC accreditation program was first instituted in 2002.  They are Berkeley Heights, Cape May City, Cranford, Egg Harbor Township, Galloway Township, Manalapan, Middle Township, New Providence, North Plainfield, Ocean City, Princeton Borough, Richard Stockton State College, Saddle Brook, Stafford Township, Stone Harbor, Summit, Woodbury City and Woodbury Heights.

            Saddle Brook Police Chief Robert J. Kugler, who currently serves as the acting president of the NJSACOP, elaborated on his department’s accomplishment.  ”It took two years of hard work and dedication to get here. When we decided to pursue accreditation, we made a commitment to pursue professional excellence.  The successful accomplishment of that goal gives us all additional pride in our department and in ourselves.”

            Plainfield Chief of Police William G. Parenti described what accreditation means to his force.  “Accreditation demonstrates the professional achievement of the men and women of this department. This recognition further demonstrates our collective dedication to excellence in professional law enforcement. By voluntarily meeting NJLEAC standards, the North Plainfield Police Department has shown itself willing to be held to a higher level of professionalism, building trust between the department and the citizens it serves.”

            Saddle Brook was the first police department in Bergen County to receive NJLEAC accreditation; North Plainfield was the first in Somerset County.

            Cranford Police Chief Eric Mason described his accreditation experience as a team effort involving every member of his department as well as critical support from elected officials on the town council and Cranford Mayor Daniel J. Aschenbach.  “We didn’t want to just succeed.  We wanted to succeed above and beyond.  Accreditation helps both our department and our community.  It improves morale and helps elevate the quality of the police service we provide to our residents.  We take obvious pride in having achieved this status because we’re not the only ones who recognize the fact that we’re doing things right … someone else (NJLEAC) is also saying it.”

Photo of martyniuk attached to article

Roman M. “Ray” Martyniuk, Public Information Officer for the New Jersey State Association of Chiefs of Police, served in the same capacity for the New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans Affairs from 1984-2005.  The retired Warrant Officer who spent most of his 30 year military career with the New Jersey Army National Guard as a Public Affairs specialist remains active with the New Jersey Committee for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve.