New York State Accreditation

The New York State Department of Criminal Justice Services Accreditation Program began in 1989.   It is comprised of a set of standards developed to further enhance the capabilities of law enforcement agencies and certify those departments that meet or exceed best policing practices as defined by the State of New York.  The standards are broken down into; Standards in the Administrative which include provisions for agency organization, fiscal management, personnel practices, and records management, Training standards which encompass basic and in-service instruction, as well as training for supervisors and specialized or technical assignments and Operations standards with address critical and litigious topics as high-speed pursuits, roadblocks, patrol, and unusual occurrences.

Accreditation is a progressive and contemporary way of helping police agencies evaluate and improve their overall performance. Once accredited, an agency must maintain standards and are re-certified every five years.  The four principle goals of accreditation are:

• To increase the effectiveness and efficiency of law enforcement agencies utilizing existing personnel, equipment and facilities to the extent possible;
• To promote increased cooperation and coordination among law enforcement agencies and other agencies of the criminal justice services;
• To ensure the appropriate training of law enforcement personnel; and
• To promote public confidence in law enforcement agencies

The New Paltz Police Department received their accreditation status in 2018 following a thorough 3-day review of all department policies, trainings and records by certified NYS accreditation assessors. The New York State Accreditation Council conducts agency reassessments every five years.  The Department successfully completed their reaccreditation assessment in January 2023 and will receive their award at a ceremony in Albany on March 9, 2023.

"Attaining accreditation has been invaluable to our department and community, helping us navigate the police reforms outlined in EO203.  More importantly, accreditation is the State of New York publicly acknowledging the professionalism of our department and assuring our community that we employ best policing practices in serving them.", said Chief Robert Lucchesi.