Wednesday, June 12, 2013

JSRCC Police Department earns professional accreditation


Lt. Milton Franklin, VLEPSC Program Manager Gary Dillon, Chief Paul Ronca, and Charles Bishop
  
The J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College Police Department has achieved accreditation status from the Virginia Law Enforcement Professional Standards Commission (VLEPSC) for its commitment to law enforcement excellence and the successful completion of the certification process through the Virginia Law Enforcement Accreditation Program.  The Certification of Accreditation was formally presented to the College on June 11th by the Department of Criminal Justice Services VLEPSC Program Manager Gary Dillon.
 
Of the more than 400 municipal police and sheriff’s departments in the Commonwealth, only 87 currently hold the distinction.   The JSRCC Police Department is the only community college in Virginia to hold the accreditation.

Accreditation of a police department by VLEPSC indicates that the department is in compliance with 187 professional law enforcement standards in four topic areas; Administration, Operations, Personnel, and Training. 
The certification signifies that JSRCC police have met the highest standards for law enforcement practices in Virginia. The accreditation process began in March 2011 with a self-assessment, and culminated with a three-day on-site assessment of the department’s policies, procedures, processes and operations by members of the Virginia Law Enforcement Accreditation Coalition in late April.  
 
JSRCC Police Chief Paul Ronca noted, “The VLEPSC accreditation process ensures that the police department's policies are of the highest standards. The accreditation process allowed us to closely examine our policies and procedures and learn from best practices of other departments around the state.  We are pleased to be the first community college in Virginia to earn this distinction.”
JSRCC’s police officers serve a population of more than 21,000 students, faculty and staff. The department has jurisdiction over all three campuses and the Ginter Park Center.
The department will be reassessed by the state every four years and must provide proofs of compliance for each calendar year.