Comments Sought On NPD

A team from the state government’s Police Officers Standards and Training Council (POSTC) on May 25 is scheduled to examine the Newtown Police Department’s policies and procedures as they relate to the state’s accreditation standards, town police said in a statement.

The Newtown Police Department has held a “Tier I” accreditation since 2005 and is seeking reaccreditation for the second time.

Verification by the team that the police department meets the POSTC’s accreditation standards is part of a voluntary process to gain accreditation, which is formal recognition of law enforcement professional excellence.

 As part of the onsite assessment, police department employees and members of the public are asked to offer comments on the police department.

Comments can be mailed to Harold T. LeMay, POSTC Accreditation Division, 285 Preston Avenue, Meriden CT 06450. Send an e-mail to Accreditation.Compliance@po.state.ct.us, call 203-427-2602 or fax 203-238-6643.

If e-mail is used, POSTC asks that Newtown Police Department be listed in the subject line of the e-mail message.

A copy of the state accreditation standards is available at the Newtown Police Department.

The accreditation manager for the Newtown Police Department is Lieutenant Christopher Vanghele. He may be contacted by telephone at 203-270-4245, or by email at christopher.vanghele@newtown-ct.gov.

The accreditation assessment team is composed of law enforcement personnel in the state. They will review written materials, conduct interviews, and visit offices and other places where compliance can be witnessed.

After the review is complete, the team will report to POSTC Accreditation Committee, which will then recommend to the council whether the police department should be reaccredited.

Accreditation lasts for three years, during which time the police department must submit annual reports attesting to continued compliance with the standards under which they were initially accredited or re-accredited.

 For more information regarding the POSTC accreditation program, contact Harold T. LeMay, State Accreditation Program Manager, at 203-238-6026 or visit the Police Officer Standards and Training Council/Accreditation Division website at http://www.ct.gov/post.