VLEPSC Accreditation
During 2009, the Sheriff's Office achieved one of its major goals and became accredited by the Virginia Law Enforcement Professional Standards Commission (VLEPSC).
The accreditation program administered by VLEPSC requires agencies to comply with state-of-the-art standards in four basic areas: administration, operations, training and personnel. The Sheriff's Office met over 187 professional standards, providing over 1400 proofs of compliance to the VLEPSC assessment team in November of 2009.
The Richmond City Sheriff's Office is among an elite group of law enforcement agencies having earned accreditation by VLEPSC. Of the more than 360 law enforcement agencies in Virginia, the Sheriff's Office is among only 78 having earned the distinction. The accreditation is considered perhaps the best measure of professionalism among law enforcement agencies.
The Virginia Law Enforcement Professional Standards Commission consists of representatives of the Virginia Sheriff's Association, Virginia Association of Chiefs of Police and the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services. It has established 215 professional standards by which law enforcement agencies are measured. In providing the accreditation program, the commission's goals are:
- To increase the effectiveness and efficiency of services provided by law enforcement agencies
- To promote cooperation among agencies
- To ensure proper training for law enforcement personnel
- To promote public confidence in law enforcement
Accreditation sets the standards by which an agency must continue to operate in order to achieve re-accreditation. These professional standards must become a routine way of conducting business in the Richmond City Sheriff's Office. There are on-going reviews, with re-accreditation occurring every four years.
The Richmond City Sheriff's Office received its accreditation from VLEPSC on December 2, 2009.
