In 2019 the Pasco Police Department received a significant honor. They became an accredited police department through CALEA (The Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies). Before going any further, a little history about how Pasco PD got to that point.
Many residents of the Tri-Cities remember 2015 and the situation surrounding the death of Antonio Zambrano-Montes. In the aftermath, the Pasco police Department took steps to strengthen the relationship with the community. While engaging in conversation with community leaders, the department began two certification programs.
The first was a state accreditation program from the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs (WASPC) achieved in 2016. The next step was a much bigger lift, and one that only a small percentage of police departments nationwide go through.
Pasco police began the accreditation program through CALEA. It is a long process that can take years. CALEA is considered to be the “Gold Standard in Public Safety”. The organization came in to being in 1979 and they are a “credentialing authority through the joint efforts of law enforcement’s major executive associations.”
On May 4th of 2019 Pasco PD completed the final phase of the process and became a CALEA accredited police department. At that time they became just the eight police department in Washington State to attain the honor. Now it is time to renew that accreditation as the recertification process is every four years and Pasco PD is currently in that process. This is where they need your help.
The department is seeking community input, positive and negative, for renewal of their accreditation in March. If you would like to comment you can do so by clicking here.
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