Dallas Township Police Department and the

Pennsylvania Law Enforcement Accreditation Program

 

The Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association introduced the Pennsylvania Law Enforcement Accreditation Program to the Commonwealth in July 2001.  Starting January 2005, the Dallas Township Police Department began the accreditation process. On July 7^th 2007, the Dallas Township Police Department had fulfilled the necessary qualifications and mandatory requirements of the Pennsylvania Law Enforcement Program of the Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association by voluntarily complying with the provisions of a professional law enforcement accreditation program by means of demonstrating the highest acknowledged standards as required by the Pennsylvania Law Enforcement Accreditation Commission.  In 2022, the Dallas Township Police received Premier Agency Status by being re-accredited five times without provisions or an extension. The department has remained committed to the philosophy of excellence in maintaining our core values of being professional, progressive and community oriented.

What is Accreditation?

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. 

The Pennsylvania Law Enforcement Accreditation Program was designed and developed by professional law enforcement executives to provide a reasonable and cost-effective plan for the professionalization of law enforcement agencies within the Commonwealth. The underlying philosophy of the program is to have a user-friendly undertaking for the departments that will result in a “success” oriented outcome. 

How Accreditation Benefits the Department?

• Establishes a credible framework for evaluating agency practices and procedures
• Reduces agency risk and exposure to lawsuits
• Decreases some liability insurance expenditures
• Improves law enforcement – community relations
• Increases employee input, interaction and confidence in the agency
• Enlarges the outlook and viewpoints of managers, officers and employees
• Identifies and highlights the capabilities and competence of the agency
• Furnishes a solid foundation for the agency to build upon for further progress
• Provides reliable methods to improve essential management procedures
• Extends agency accountability to the public and elected officials
• Enhances planning and innovative activities by all agency personnel
• Develops improved methods for providing services to the community
• Encourages problem-solving activities within the agency