The Mt. Laurel Police Department was recognized at a council meeting on Nov. 23 for achieving re-accreditation from the New Jersey State Association of Chiefs of Police.
Of the more than 500 law enforcement agencies in New Jersey eligible for accreditation, only 146 achieved this honor.
It is an honor that is not new for the force, as it has met the rigorous standards in each of the three opportunities it has had over the past nine years.
This is a time-consuming, ongoing process, Lt. Stephen Riedener pointed out.
“We are already preparing for the next one,” he said. “We have to be constantly abiding by these procedures and walking the walk.”
The MLPD’s operating procedures constantly have to match with the accreditation principles, and the force has to provide proof of this through documenting things such as police reports and regular inspections.
These principles consist of being in compliance with 105 standards that also include a number of sub-standards that represent best practices accepted in law enforcement.
Harry Delgado, accreditation program manager for the NJSACOP, presented Chief Dennis Cribben with the certificate of accreditation at the meeting.
Delgado commended the Mt. Laurel Police Department for being among an elite group of law enforcement agencies, not only in New Jersey but also on a national scale.
“It’s an extreme sense of pride to be singled out as a department that is considered
amongst the best,” Riedener said. “It gives confidence to the public as well that we are doing our job to the best of our abilities.”
According to Delgado, accredited agencies are better able to defend against lawsuits and citizen complaints; demonstrate a commitment to leadership, resource management and service delivery; are more confident in operating efficiently; have a greater ability to meet community needs; and have adopted community-orientated policies that create an atmosphere of police and citizens working together to prevent and control challenges presented to law enforcement and provide a clear direction on community expectations.
The MLPD got involved in this process during its early stages, starting most of the work about 10 years ago and still doing it today.
“We are constantly maintaining our policies and staying progressive,” Riedener said. “You have to stay with the times.”
It is now the first state law enforcement agency to do its full accreditation process through a computerized accreditation system.
It uses technology called Power DMS, a system typically used for training and standard operating procedures that can also be used for accreditation.
“Before that, we used actual hard files that would take up numerous file drawers and make a tedious process even worse,” Riedener said.
Mt. Laurel is now considered to be at the forefront of all accredited law enforcement agencies in the state and serves as a model for all law enforcement.
In fact, when the Michigan State Association of Chiefs of Police was looking for an accreditation model to bring back to Michigan, the Mt. Laurel Police Department was presented as the agency to mirror.
Regardless of whom you talk to in the force, they attribute the success it has had with its program to the next person, making its success a true team effort.
“This honor was only achievable due to the extreme professionalism of every member of the Mt. Laurel Police Department and their commitment to serve our community to the greatest extent possible,” Cribben said.
