The Battle Ground Police Department has received accreditation from the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs (WASPC), the department announced last week.
The four-year accreditation shows the department “is operating under the best practices and standards for law enforcement,” a news release stated.
WASPC Executive Director Steven Strachan said the Battle Ground Police Department worked hard to receive the accreditation.
“The community should be proud of local law enforcement for taking direct and tangible steps to earn the public’s confidence in their operations,” Strachan stated in the release.
This year’s accreditation follows similar certifications in 2010, 2014 and 2018, the release stated. The accreditation stems from a call by the Washington State Legislature in 1976 for law enforcement standards.
WASPC’s current program is updated regularly in best practices and accountability measures, the release stated, resulting in heightened organizational discipline. Benefits of accreditation include administrative and operational effectiveness, fair recruitment and employment practices, better records management, improved use of technology, health and safety, training, codes of conduct and prisoner security, among other law enforcement tasks, according to the release.
“We are proud to be accredited by WASPC,” Police Chief Mike Fort stated. “It means our department has achieved the highest professional standards for policing.”
BGPD is one of 67 law enforcement organizations in Washington to have accreditation. Only about a quarter of law enforcement agencies in Washington have the distinction, the release stated.
WASPC has more than 900 members, which includes the 39 elected county sheriffs, and 240 police chiefs, as well as the Washington State Patrol, the Washington Department of Corrections, and representatives of several federal agencies, the release stated.
