Lansing Mayor Andy Shore commended the Lansing Police Department for achieving accreditation by the Michigan Law Enforcement Accreditation Commission (MLEAC) during a Lansing City Council meeting held in February.
“Accreditation is a way to ensure that we are serving the people of Lansing in a transparent and accountable way, that aligns with our community values, and ensures we are adhering to the current best practices in Law Enforcement,” Lansing Police Chief Ellery Sosebee said.
The Lansing Police Department was one of 12 agencies to gain accreditation, joining the 13% of Michigan police departments with this certification. Out of the 580 departments in the state, only 77 are accredited.
“Not a lot of police agencies do that and our folks went through a lot to make sure they were fully accredited, so that’s good news,” Shore announced at Lansing’s City Council meeting on Tuesday,” Shore commented.
The Michigan Association of Chiefs of Police (MACP) developed the accreditation process in collaboration with the Michigan Sheriffs’ Association as a way to provide a statewide standard for departments to follow.
“The cool thing about accreditation is that the basis of the program is that it is voluntary. Departments are choosing to do it to make the community better, safer and stronger,” said Ron Wiles, the Accreditation Program Director at the MACP.
Wiles explained that the process was created to help officers know what is expected of them and provide transparency to the community by involving a third party evaluation.
The department’s preparation involved the implementation of more than 50 written policies and procedures and 19 training programs to direct the department according to the accreditation standards over the last two years.
“We don’t hand out accreditation awards,” Wiles said. “There is a lot of work that goes into achieving it.”
A team of assessors from the MLEAC examined the policies, procedures, management and operations of Lansing’s Criminal Investigations Division in November and verified 108 different standards that the department must adhere to, including use of force, training and internal affairs.
The agency’s accreditation will be valid for three years. During this time, the agency will be required to submit annual reports covering its continued adherence to the standards. After this period concludes, Lansing will have to undergo the evaluation process again to maintain its certification.
The department also increased its focus on community engagement activities to unite positive relationships throughout the area, emphasizing volunteering opportunities throughout the community.
Brighton, Brownstown, Grand Rapids Community College, Huron Township, Kalamazoo County Sheriff’s Office, Lathrup Village, Manistee, Sturgis Department of Public Service, Troy and Wixom were the remaining eleven departments to receive accreditation.