On March 9th, the Rockville Centre Police Department was officially grantedtheir reaccreditation certification byNew York State’s Department of Criminal Justice Services. The Accreditation Program is comprised of a strict set of standards developed to further enhance the capabilities of a law enforcement agency and is a contemporary and progressive way of helping police agencies evaluate and improve their overall performance. The Rockville Centre Police Department met or exceeded the requirements of all one hundred ten different standards and is one of only three agencies that are accredited in Nassau County. Police Commissioner James Vafeades said, “Our reaccreditation offers assurance to our residents that their police department operates using the best policing practices as defined by New York State. We continue to run our agency under the stricteststandards that ensure that we provide the best service to our community possible.”
What does it mean to be accredited? Accreditation increases the effectiveness and efficiency of law enforcement agencies utilizing existing personnel, equipment, and facilities; it promotes increased cooperation and coordination among law enforcement agencies; it ensures the appropriate training of law enforcement personnel; and it promotes public confidence in a police agency. The standardsinclude provisions for agency organization, fiscal management, personnel practices,records management,and patrol. Accreditation demonstrates that the agency performs in a consistently professional manner, that formalized policies are in place to govern its operational practices and procedures, and that all employees contribute to the agency’s mission and know what is expected of them.
The RCPD received its initial accreditation in 1998 and has been accredited ever since. Vafeades added, “We take great pride in our status as an accredited police agency and it’s something that our residents should also be proud of. This process was lengthy and complex, and I’d like to give special thanks to our department’s accreditation manager, Lieutenant Sal Mazza, for his efforts on this project.” Once accredited, an agency must maintain standards in order to be re-certified every five years.
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