Top Kent cop: Accreditation means higher standards, professionalism

Former Kent Police Chief Ed Crawford had the foresight in the 1990s to begin the process to make KPD an “accredited” agency. If you look at the back fenders of our patrol cars it says “Nationally Accredited.” What does that mean and what does it do for us as a city?

Accreditation is a nationwide phenomenon for public agencies, including police departments, fire departments and jails. Basically it is part of an effort to increase professionalism and high standards. It subjects the department to intense scrutiny and evaluation from a professional organization. In our case it is the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, which is the nationally recognized “gold standard” in law enforcement. Other agencies in this area that are accredited through CALEA are Auburn, Renton, Bellevue and Seattle.

Kent P.D. was first accredited in the 1990s. Every three years, we go through a rigorous process where the department, and our practices, are closely examined to ensure they are in compliance with the best practices in law enforcement. The most recent process was completed this past March, when we were awarded re-accreditation during a conference in Atlanta. To achieve this distinction, three assessors visited our department months earlier, looking at every aspect of our agency and also by riding with officers.

Accreditation is a little like an insurance policy. It helps to ensure that it isn’t just our opinion that we do things well and have high standards, but an objective third party has drawn the same conclusion.

One of the key elements of accreditation is a comprehensive review of how we handle complaints and concerns, both in terms of process and actual individual complaints. A lot of people are not aware of our complaint process, and there is no reason for them to be unless and until they have one. Responsiveness to valid complaints is extremely important to police departments, because we rely on the support and trust of the public to create and legitimize our authority.

The accreditation review we recently completed examined our complaint processes, as well as the actual incidents, from simple questions answered by first-level supervisors about traffic stops, to serious internal affairs investigations. What some people do not know is that any person who complains or raises a concern is always advised of the outcome of the incident. Likewise, the results of internal affairs and disciplinary issues are public. Our process and the data that results are amazingly transparent.

Our city’s public safety agencies are committed to accreditation. Kent is only city we know of that both police and fire departments, as well as the corrections facility, that are all accredited by the most-recognized authorities in their respective fields. It is a reflection not only of the commitment to excellence, but also our commitment to continually always monitor how we are doing, and work to improve. We will be recognizing our accreditation process and the renewal of that commitment at the second City Council meeting in June.

Thanks and have a great week.

Steve Strachan is police chief for the City of Kent.