POLICE DEPARTMENTS SUPPORT ONE ANOTHER WITH A GOAL OF COUNTY-WIDE ACCREDITATION

The Lancaster County Chiefs of Police Association recently formed an Accreditation workgroup.  The purpose of the workgroup is to provide information and support for the Pennsylvania Law Enforcement Accreditation Commission’s program, known as PLEAC, to all Lancaster County Police Departments.  Currently, there are five Lancaster County police departments who are accredited: East Lampeter Township, Franklin and Marshall College, Lititz Borough, Manheim Township, and Northern Lancaster County Regional.

On March 10, 2021, Manheim Township hosted the first meeting of the workgroup where Manheim Township’s Chief Tom Rudzinski and Northern Lancaster County Regional’s Chief Dave Steffen gave a presentation on the program and answered questions.  The meeting was attended by fourteen (14) Lancaster County agencies who were all interested in improving the quality of service that they provide to the community. 

The program, which has 139 standards, addresses many topics, including Use of Force, Discipline, Hiring, Patrol Functions, Detainees, Training, Evidence, Pursuits, Crime Victims, and Mental Health. Chief Rudzinski, who is also the Chairman of the Pennsylvania Law Enforcement Accreditation Commission, explained that the accreditation program is a set of standards that helps an agency “evaluate what they do and how they do it, as well as whether or not there might be a better or more effective way.” 

He went on to say that the goal of the workgroup is to “share information and assist one another in accomplishing the goal of every agency being accredited so that we are able to provide the residents of Lancaster County with the best possible law enforcement service available.” The group plans to meet regularly.

The LBPD will offer assistance by making available its agency’s Accreditation Manager to participate in the working group to offer guidance to those agencies navigating the Accreditation process.

Media contact: Media@LititzPD.org