Murrysville police receive re-accreditation from state chiefs' association

Murrysville police received its official certificate of law enforcement accreditation from the Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Executive Director Tom Gross earlier this month.

Only 117 departments statewide have received accreditation.

Among the accreditation program's goals:

• Establishing a credible framework for evaluating agency practices and procedures

• Reducing agency risk and exposure to lawsuits

• Decreasing some liability insurance expenditures

• Identifying and highlighting the capabilities and competence of the agency

• Extending agency accountability to the public and elected officials

• Enhancing planning and innovative activities by all agency personnel

• Developing improved methods for providing services to the community

The department first received accreditation in 2006, five years after the program was introduced. At that time, they were only the 35th department to receive it.

Evaluations are conducted every three years.

For more on the PLEAC, see PAChiefs.org/accreditation .

Patrick Varine is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at 724-850-2862, pvarine@tribweb.com or via Twitter @MurrysvilleStar.