New Paltz Police Awarded Accreditation

Press Release
For Immediate Release
Date of Release: Friday, April 06, 2018

On Monday, April 2, 2018 members of the New Paltz Police Department and the Town Supervisor attended a ceremony in Albany where the police department received their certificate as a state accredited law enforcement agency by the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services.

The New York State Law Enforcement Agency Accreditation Program is a voluntary program that formally recognizes that an agency’s policies and practices meet or exceed the standards established by the Division of Criminal Justice Services Law Enforcement Accreditation Council. The accreditation process is arduous, usually taking a couple of years and includes an on-site visit by assessors, who perform a survey to determine compliance with 110 policing standards. The examiners review written policies and records to ensure proper implementation and interview many members of the organization, testing their knowledge of policies and the department’s adherence to them.

The awards ceremony was the culmination of years of work by the department. “First, I would like to congratulate all of the members of our department on this achievement, this was truly a team effort. We began this endeavor in the late 1990’s and many have worked on the project throughout the years. It is extremely rewarding to be recognized by New York State as a professional law enforcement agency and that the services we provide to the New Paltz community adhere to best policing practices,” said Chief Joseph Snyder.

The SUNY New Paltz Police Department also received their accreditation at the ceremony on Monday. “It was only fitting that our agencies received this award together. Not only do we have a close working relationship with them but Chief Dugatkin worked diligently on this program while he was a Detective Sergeant with our agency,” said Chief Snyder.

[Attached is a photo from the ceremony. Flanking Supervisor Neil Bettez, Chief Joseph Snyder and Lieutenant Robert Lucchesi are members of the Law Enforcement Accreditation Council]