COAL TOWNSHIP - Coal Township Police Department has earned distinction as the only municipal police department in Northumberland County to be accredited through the Pennsylvania Law Enforcement Accreditation Association and Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association.
The department is among 75 out of 1,700 statewide, including state police, to attain accredited status, which was made official at a program Wednesday in Lancaster.
"It was a two-year process to obtain accreditation and we're proud of that accomplishment," said Police Chief William Carpenter. "It
was obtained through hard work and minimal cost to the township."
Carpenter, who noted Bloomsburg and Harrisburg police departments are the closest municipal departments to earn accreditation, praised Patrolmen Terry Ketchem and Jason Adams for their efforts in obtaining the distinction. Ketchem, who attended a free training class, serves as accreditation manager, while Adams is the evidence officer.
"These two guys worked extremely hard," Carpenter said. "They had hundreds of hours tied up in this."
The chief also commended Patrolman Matthew Hashuga, who was evaluated by assessors throughout the accreditation process.
Modifications needed
Carpenter pointed out that many modifications, including the installation of cameras and buzzers, had to be made at Coal Township Police Station to comply with the strict standards needed to attain accreditation. But he said only $320 in township funds were spent. He said township street department employees made the majority of the modifications to the building, while some supplies were obtained through grant funding.
Carpenter, who thanked the commissioners for supporting the accreditation process, said the accreditation for the 12-man department is good for only three years.
"We must undergo another assessment after three years in order to maintain accreditation," he said. "Earning this status was a lot harder than maintaining it, but we still must comply with all the standards every three years."
Public trust
He said accredited status will make his department operate more efficiently and increase public trust.
"Each officer will be more diligent knowing they must meet all the standards to maintain accreditation," he said. "Accreditation also reduces the risk of liability and could lead to lower insurance premiums. Many lawsuits result from failure to comply with policy. By being accredited, it means our department complies with all standards established by the Pennsylvania Law Enforcement Accreditation Association and Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association."
Other benefits include establishing a credible framework for evaluating agency practices and procedures, increasing employee input, interaction and confidence in the department, furnishing a solid foundation for the department to build upon for further progress, providing reliable methods to improve essential management procedures, developing improved methods of providing services to the community and encouraging problem-solving activities with the department.
After being selected for accreditation, Carpenter and Ketchem were presented a framed certificate Wednesday night signifying the accreditation status. The certificate was presented during a meeting Thursday night to Coal Township commissioners, who in turn, gave special certificates to Ketchem and Adams for their dedicated efforts during the accreditation process.
The commissioners praised the officers, Carpenter and the other members of the police department for their achievement.
Police Commissioner Craig Fetterman noted Coal Township is the only municipal police department in Northumberland County to have an FBI Academy graduate,Detective Jeff Brennan, and an accredited department.
Program began in 2001
The law enforcement accreditation program was introduced by the Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association to the state in July 2001.
Accreditation is a progressive and time-proven way of helping institutions evaluate and improve their overall performance.
Carpenter said participating administrators conduct a thorough analysis of each department to determine how existing operations can be adapted to meet professional 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 vote by an authoritative body that the department is worthy of accreditation.
The accreditation process consists of three phases including application, self-assessment and formal assessment.
In 2010, Coal Township Police Department applied to become an accredited agency in cooperation with the township commissioners. The department was then provided all the materials, including manuals, labels for accreditation folders and a software tracking program, to begin the accreditation process. A video explaining the program also was supplied to the department.
After the application process, Ketchem conducted a self-assessment of the police department in which he compared how the current policies complied with the program's 132 standards. Once the policies were modified or developed to meet accreditation standards, Ketchem collected proofs of compliance for each standard. Each standard requires a minimum of two proofs to be compliant. A standard can be proved by providing a copy of a written report dealing with a particular standard, observation of a particular area in the department or interviewing staff.
Assessors come to town
After the self-assessment was completed, a mock assessment was held in March 2011 involving three trained assessors touring Coal Township Police Station and reviewing 113 standards that were applicable to the department.
On May 25 and May 26, Coal Township Police Department underwent its formal accreditation assessment conducted by Lt. Mark Shannon of Norristown Police Department, Sgt. Christopher Bird of Upper Merion Township Police Department and Upper Allen Police Chief James Adams.
Shannon, who served as team leader for the assessment, reported that overall, the on-site assessment was smooth and didn't contain any significant problems. The assessment team was given a two-hour tour of the facility and evaluated various areas including evidence storage, cell areas, temporary holding cells and offices.
Shannon reported all questions and requests for information were responded to quickly and that Ketchem made himself available at all times and acted very professional.
A ride-along was conducted by Hashuga during the second day of the assessment. According to the assessors, Hashuga provided an excellent overview of the history and changes that he has witnessed during the past 12 years in the township and police department.
'Solid knowledge'
When asked by Shannon during the assessment why he applied for accreditation, Carpenter said he likes being held to a higher standard and believes the Coal Township community expects the same from its police department.
In an accreditation assessment summary, Shannon wrote, "All personnel interviewed by the assessors during the assessment had a solid knowledge of agency policy and expectation. The department facility is managed very efficiently and there was an obvious sense of pride among staff. It is clear that Chief Carpenter, Patrolman Ketchem and the other members of the agency have a clear understanding of the accreditation program and the importance of putting into practice what they write into policy.
"The agency is truly motivated to doing the right thing for the right reasons. The assessors believe the agency did a fantastic job in that they are distant from other accredited agencies wherein networking is more difficult. It was without hesitation that the assessment team recommended the Coal Township Police Department for full accredited status."