Ferguson Township Police closer to accreditation

BELLEFONTE — For the last several years, the Ferguson Township Police Department has been working to make sure all its policies and practices were “up to snuff.”

Now, according to department Chief Diane Conrad, the hard work is paying off, and soon, the department may achieve PA Police Accreditation, making it the final policing source in Centre County to be awarded the designation.

Gene Lauri, Centre County’s criminal justice administrator, visited the meeting of the county Board of Commissioners Feb. 21 with Conrad to seek the commissioners’ approval to submit a grant application for $13,500 to fund the process. He explained funding through the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency, and in particular, money from Innovative Policing Funds, must be requested by a governing body and not an individual police department.

The commissioners unanimously approved the grant application.

“It’s been a lot of work getting to this point … a lot of documentation,” Conrad said. “We’re about a third of the way through the process and this grant would be a huge help.”

According to Conrad, being accredited means the police force is staying on par with policies and practices set forth locally and through the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency. She said the designation allows the public to feel a sense of safety and security in the department’s daily duties.

In addition, she said being accredited establishes a credible framework for evaluating agency practices and procedures; reduces agency risk and exposure to lawsuits; decreases some liability insurance expenditures; improves law enforcement and community relations; increases employee input, interaction and confidence in the agency; enlarges the outlook and viewpoints of managers, officers and employees; identifies and highlights the capabilities and competence of the agency; furnishes a solid foundation for the agency to build upon for further progress; provides reliable methods to improve essential management procedures; extends agency accountability to the public and elected officials; enhances planning and innovative activities by all agency personnel; develops improved methods for providing services to the community, and encourages problem-solving activities within the agency.