Earlier this week Hoquiam Police Chief Jeff Myers talked about the re-accreditation of the Hoquiam Police Department. Accreditations serve many purposes, some of those listed below.
- To increase public confidence in the agency
- To intensify administrative and operational effectiveness
- To ensure recruitment, selection, and promotion processes are fair and equitable
- To strengthen understanding of agency policies and procedures by agency personnel
- To decrease susceptibility to litigation and costly civil court settlements
- To potentially reduce liability insurance costs
I am very proud of the members of the Hoquiam Police Department as evidenced by the presentation of our re-accreditation plaque last night at the fall conference of the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs.
Every member of the department worked hard over the last four years to demonstrate we follow our policies and procedures which match the best practice standards as outlined in WASPC Accreditation. Our department was first Accredited in 2013.
During the on-site inspection at the end of September, the department was required to fully meet the 132 WASPC standards within the following chapters: Goals and Objectives; Role and Authority; Use of Force; Management, Staffing, Organization and Utilization of Personnel, Records Management, Information Technology; Unusual Occurrences; Health and Safety; Fiscal Management; Recruitment and Selection; Training; Performance Evaluation; Code of Conduct; Internal Affairs; Patrol Functions; Investigative Function; Evidence and Property Control Function; and Prisoner Security.
We passed our re-accreditation inspection with a "clean report". The Assessors were impressed with our policies, our operations over the last four years and the way the accreditation files were organized. They commented the files were some of the best they have ever seen.
Although the on-site inspection was at the end of September, the final report was reviewed by the Accreditation Commission at the conference this week with the ultimate approval from the WASPC Executive Board. We then received our plaque at the award banquet on Wednesday night.
It was a long journey- but one we take every day as our department lives accreditation. I commend the hard work of Officer Phil High, who as our Accreditation Manager, had to create all the files and secure all the proofs of compliance from the last four years. He accomplished this task while working his regular patrol duties, even while on the graveyard shift
Our Evidence Room was inspected and found to be in top shape thanks to the work of Officer Gaddis and Sgt. Krohn. Our use of force, arrest procedures, records and all the other aspects of the standards covered during the inspection were on point because of the hard work, day in and day out, of our dedicated staff, plus those who came in on their time off to help us be prepared for the inspection.
I have had the honor to serve as the Chief of Police for the Hoquiam Police Department for 11 ½ years. I am very proud of the men and women of this department and the service they provide to our city every single day. To me, this award is a manifestation of what I see and experience every day at HPD- dedicated professionals proudly working to make a difference in the lives of those we serve.
I am so very proud.
JEFF