Accreditation Services
Why Accreditation?
Accreditation programs have become the primary method for an agency to voluntarily demonstrate its commitment to excellence. Based upon established standards that reflect best practices in law enforcement, accreditation programs promote transparency and self-reflection within an agency, which fosters a culture of accountability and promotes trust in the community.
Benefits of Accreditation
Ensures Alignment with Best Practices
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Maintaining accredited status ensures agencies are constantly evaluating policies and procedures and evolving.
Increased Operational Efficiency
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Creates clearly defined expectations, performance, and responsibility.
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Accreditation standardizes activities and raises the level of professionalism in an agency.
Risk/Liability Reduction
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Accredited agencies tend to have fewer litigation claims when compared to similarly situated agencies that are not accredited.
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Accredited agencies tend to have stronger documentation, making the development of defense arguments less challenging.
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Fewer liability claims, translate into lower insurance costs and less time in court. Thus, accreditation creates an end-benefit for taxpayers.
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Accreditation promotes greater accountability within an agency.
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Accreditation promotes transparency and community advocacy, fostering procedural justice, trust, and institutional legitimacy.
Why ACG?
Cost Effectiveness
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Our team is comprised of experienced and credentialed professionals who already possess the required expertise, experience, knowledge, and skill set to ensure success. On average the cost of contracting with ACG is less than a third of the cost to do it with existing department staff.
Experience
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We have an established and verifiable record of success in assisting law enforcement agencies throughout the Commonwealth in developing comprehensive, accreditation-compliant policy manuals and achieving accredited status. From our experience as law enforcement officers, accreditation managers, and state assessors, we see not only the value of accreditation, but also understand the process. It is this understanding and experience we deliver to help you achieve your goals.
Timeline
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ACG removes the learning curve. On average our clients achieve accredited status within 12-18 months of contracting with ACG, compared to the average 24 months it takes agencies to achieve accreditation in-house. Working with ACG allows agencies to achieve accreditation faster while using fewer resources.
Staffing
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Agencies across the Commonwealth are struggling with critical staffing shortages and assigning staff to accreditation full-time is not operationally feasible for many agencies. With ACG, we take on the brunt of the administrative tasks, meaning the agency's workload is greatly reduced and officers remain in the field protecting the public.