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The borough Board of Commissioners unanimously agreed on Sept. 29 to accept the grant from the South Bergen Joint Insurance Fund to seek a continuation of the designation that the department first received from the New Jersey State Association of Chiefs of Police in 2011.
“The $25,000 will offset the cost of a company coming in and reviewing the accreditation application,” said John Montillo, Jr., Commissioner of Public Safety.
The department has two years to receive the certification before the grant expires.
A team of assessors from the chiefs' association will examine all aspects of the department -- policies and procedures, management, operations and support services.
Verification by the team that the department meets its organization's ‘best practice’ standards is a "highly-prized recognition of law enforcement professional excellence,” Police Chief James O'Connor said.
“Accreditation results in greater accountability within the agency, reduced risk and liability exposure, stronger defense against civil lawsuits, increased community advocacy, and more confidence in the agency’s ability to operate efficiently and respond to community needs,” he added.
Although it hasn’t been proven to directly improve police response time, reduce crime, or cut costs to taxpayers, accreditation does send a message that a department is committed to professionalism — the same as colleges and other institutions do.
The 100+ standards the department must meet includes those involving prisoner transfers, how petty cash is handled, and the process for evidence chain-of-custody.
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