Re-accreditation is an extensive process that repeats every three years and involves meeting 125 overarching standards, or best practices, as well as more than 240 sub-standards, Adams said. To achieve Premier distinction, an agency must be re-accredited five times without needing any provisions or time extensions.
“Part of being in accreditation is staying ahead of the curve,” Adams said, “always evaluating not just within the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, but nationwide … We’re always paying attention to what’s going on as far as best practices and changes in law enforcement.”
Adams called the LUPD and Lehigh community one of the “visionaries” for joining the accreditation program soon after it was established. Accreditation, as the program’s website outlines, demonstrates a commitment to “a progressive and time-proven way of helping institutions evaluate and improve their overall performance.”
