ABOVE PHOTO: Delaware County Sheriff Jerry L. Sanders, Jr. (Photo/delcopa.gov)
Delaware County Council commends the Delaware County Sheriff’s Office, under the leadership of Sheriff Jerry L. Sanders, Jr., for earning a unanimous vote for accreditation by the Pennsylvania Law Enforcement Accreditation Commission of the Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association.
Accreditation is awarded to only a small percentage of law enforcement agencies in Pennsylvania, and the County Council is proud that the Sheriff’s Office has earned such a distinguished honor, exhibiting strong leadership and professionalism.
This is the third time that the Sheriff’s office has earned this distinction, and the second time since Sheriff Sanders first took office in early 2018.
To determine if a law enforcement agency will be awarded accreditation, the Commission conducts a thorough analysis to determine if the office’s current policies comply with the program’s 139 standards, and on-site reviews of agency files are conducted by trained assessors to ensure compliance with those standards.
The Commission found the office to be meritorious and worthy of accreditation.
Law enforcement accreditation is considered a progressive and time-proven method of helping law enforcement agencies evaluate and improve their overall performance by adopting high standards and professional objectives. Accreditation has many benefits, including:
– Improvements in law enforcement/community relations
– Increases employee input, interaction, and confidence in the agency
– Reduces agency risk and exposure to lawsuits
– Decreases liability insurance expenditures
– Extends agency accountability to the public and elected officials
– Encourages problem-solving activities within the agency
– Identifies and highlights the capabilities and competence of the agency
– Furnishes a solid foundation for the agency to build upon for further progress
In all, over 375 agencies have enrolled since the program’s inception in 2001, and only 131 agencies currently maintain accredited status—including just six sheriff’s offices in the State and eight of 51 law enforcement agencies in Delaware County.
The Delaware County’s Sheriff’s Office’s accreditation was announced during the Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association’s annual banquet in July of 2021, and accreditation status will remain valid for a three-year period with annual reports required.
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