In 2018, EPD went through the recertification process with the Oregon Accreditation Alliance, which issued Eugene Police Department its first certificate of accreditation in 2015. Monday, during the City Council’s Ceremonial Matters, executive director with the OAA, presented EPD Chief Chris Skinner with the accreditation plaque.
To be accredited, an agency must meet 102 professional standards comprised of over 400 separate requirements contained within those standards. Agencies go through a recertification process every three years.
Eugene Police began the process with OAA in January 2014 and during the process, the association reviewed the department and its policies to ensure compliance to highest level of professional standards of accountability, management, and operations. The chief executive officer of an organization invites an outside third party (in this case, OAA) into their department to review and inspect everything associated with their operations and render an opinion as to whether they meet a set of best practice standards for that profession. That requires courage, transparency and commitment to high standards.
The Oregon Accreditation Alliance is governed by the Oregon Accreditation Alliance Board, comprised of representatives from the Oregon Association Chiefs of Police, the Oregon State Sheriffs’ Association, and the Oregon Chapter of the Association of Public Safety Communications Officials.
Central Lane 911 received its certificate of accreditation from OAA in 2016, and has a recertification process every three years, with the next date in January 2019.
EPD's Forensics Evidence Unit successfully renewed their accreditation in 2017, after becoming the state's first local lab awarded American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors accreditation in 2013.
According to Ed Boyd, executive director of Oregon Accreditation Alliance (and chief of police, retired), "Accreditation means that an agency, their operations, management, policies and procedures meet the best practices the industry has to offer. The accreditation process in general is a progressive and contemporary way of helping law enforcement agencies evaluate and improve their overall performance and provides formal and professional recognition that an organization meets or exceeds best practice expectations of service and quality in the profession. To be accredited, an agency must meet 102 professional standards comprised of over 400 separate requirements contained within those standards. It also, in my opinion, takes courage for an organization to take on the rigorous accreditation process. Anytime the chief executive officer of an organization invites an outside third party into their department to review and inspect everything associated with their operations and render an opinion as to whether they meet a set of best practice standards for that profession that by itself shows commitment, transparency and dedication to excellence."
For more on OAA, http://www.oracall.org/