Greenwood, SC - The Greenwood Police Department has met the requirements of a highly regarded and broadly recognized body of law enforcement standards, and was accredited for a fifth time by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc., on March 27, 2010.
According to Greenwood Police Chief Gerald Brooks, reaccreditation represents the satisfactory completion of a continuous process of thorough agency wide self-evaluation, concluded by an exacting outside review by a team of independent assessors, which examine all aspects of the department’s policies and procedures, management, operations, and support services. “The standards address nine (9) major areas of law enforcement: role, responsibilities, and relationships with other agencies; organization, management, and administration; personnel structure; personnel process; operations; operational support; traffic operations; prisoner and court-related activities; and auxiliary and technical services”.
The Greenwood Police Department is the only law enforcement agency in the Lakelands to receive the honor, and one of only six-hundred eight (608) law enforcement agencies internationally that have earned this prestigious award, Brooks said. “Being accredited is a highly prized recognition of professional excellence in law enforcement”. At present, only 30 of the 260 law enforcement agencies in South Carolina have earned accreditation from CALEA.
“All Greenwood Police Department employees are to be commended for their tireless work in making sure we attained reaccreditation,” Chief Brooks said. “This has been an all-out effort by every person in the Department, and I am proud of their great teamwork.”
Brooks said accreditation is a goal worthy of pursuit by other agencies. “When all agencies meet this challenge and citizens can be assured of professional and accountable law enforcement, not only in Greenwood, but throughout South Carolina and the nation, then ‘equal protection under the law’ will have new meaning.”