Since 2004 the Penbrook Police Department is Accredited by the Pennsylvania Law Enforcement Accreditation Commission and the Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association and has been given the status of a Premier Agency.  Penbrook was the 11th law enforcement agency in the Commonwealth and the 3rd in Dauphin County to be recognized as an accredited agency.  

Accreditation is a progressive and time-proven way of helping institutions evaluate and improve their overall performance. The cornerstone of this strategy lies in the promulgation of standards containing a clear statement of professional objectives. Participating administrators then conduct a thorough analysis to determine how existing operations can be adapted to meet these objectives. When the procedures are in place, a team of independent professionals is assigned to verify that all applicable standards have been successfully implemented. The process culminates with a decision by an authoritative body that the institution is worthy of accreditation. 

There are over 130 standards within 41 different areas in which an agency must have policy and provide proof that those polices are being followed.  Every three years, specially trained assessors spend several days reviewing an agencies policies and proof for compliance.  A report is then compiled and submitted to the Accreditation Commission for a formal vote of accreditation.  For an agency to achieve the Premier Agency Status, the agency must be re-accredited five times without provisions or an extension.