The Oregon Accreditation Alliance issued Eugene Police Department its certificate of accreditation. Eugene Police began the process with OAA in January 2014 and during the process, the association reviewed the department and its policies to ensure compliance to highest level of professional standards of accountability, management, and operations. The Oregon Accreditation Alliance is governed by the Oregon Accreditation Alliance Board, comprised of representatives from the Oregon Association Chiefs of Police, the Oregon State Sheriffs’ Association, and the Oregon Chapter of the Association of Public Safety Communications Officials.
“Accreditation is a living process that ensures from year to year that we have modern policies in place and that our practices comport with them,” said Chief Pete Kerns. “The on-going accreditation process ensures we are less likely to have practices that incrementally change and evolve into something outside what is considered normal in our trade. Even more important, we can be confident that our operations meet high standards and are safe for all of us and for those we serve. I thank EPD Sergeant Matt Lowen, who we appointed as accreditation manager, for the huge task of earning our first certificate.”
EPD will go through a re-certification process every three years, with the next date in 2018. According to Ed Boyd, executive director of Oregon Accreditation Alliance (and chief of police, retired), "Accreditation means that an agency, their operations, management, policies and procedures meet the best practices the industry has to offer. The accreditation process in general is a progressive and contemporary way of helping law enforcement agencies evaluate and improve their overall performance and provides formal and professional recognition that an organization meets or exceeds best practice expectations of service and quality in the profession. To be accredited, an agency must meet 102 professional standards comprised of over 400 separate requirements contained within those standards. It also, in my opinion, takes courage for an organization to take on the rigorous accreditation process. Anytime the chief executive officer of an organization invites an outside third party into their department to review and inspect everything associated with their operations and render an opinion as to whether they meet a set of best practice standards for that profession that by itself shows commitment, transparency and dedication to excellence."
Central Lane 911 Communications is also working through the process to gain 911 accreditation.
For more on OAA, http://www.oracall.org/