The Georgia
Association of Chiefs of Police Assessment Team has awarded the Board of
Education Police Department recertification for the next three years. In
accordance with policies and practices for the Georgia State Certification
Audit, the SCCPSS Police Department was recognized as meeting the requirements
consistent with progressive professional standards at a ceremony on February 7th.
Local law enforcement from fellow agencies throughout Chatham County attended
the ceremony. Chief Bill Kirkendall of
the Hinesville Police Department presented a plaque recognizing the accomplishment.
State
Certification is an accreditation process fostered and created from a
collaborative effort of the GACP, Georgia Sheriffs Association, Department of
Community Affairs (DCA), Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council
(POST), Georgia Municipal Association (GMA), and Association of County
Commissioners of Georgia. A committee of representatives from senior law
enforcement, government officials and POST created a comprehensive set of 129
model policies, and management and operational standards for Georgia law
enforcement agencies. Every three years, a team of randomly selected auditors,
who are specially trained and experienced Law Enforcement Officers, visit
certified agencies to inspect and review every policy and conduct a thorough
examination to ensure their practices mirror their policies. Currently, there
are only about 125 agencies in Georgia that have achieved this high level of
standards.
“Certification is
a progressive and time-proven way of helping law enforcement agencies calculate
and improve their overall performances,” said Chief of Campus Police Terry
Enoch. “Recertification fully demonstrates that we are committed to law
enforcement excellence and 21st century policing. We are modernizing and adapting
our methods and procedures to meet the evolving needs of our students, faculty
and staff, as well as our school families. Our goal remains keeping all 38,000
students and all 5,600 employees on over 55 campuses and sites safe at all
times.”
Certification
status represents a significant professional achievement. Certification
acknowledges the implementation of policies and procedures that are
conceptually sound and operationally effective.
