Stephenville Police Department is now one of the best police departments in the state of Texas, after receiving its hard-earned Texas Best Practices Accreditation.
They are the 223rd agency in the state to earn the accreditation out of about 2,700 agencies.
The Texas Law Enforcement Accreditation Program is a voluntary process where police agencies in Texas prove their compliance with 173 Texas Law Enforcement Best Practices. These best practices were carefully developed by Texas Law Enforcement professionals to assist agencies in the efficient and effective delivery of service, the reduction of risk, and the protection of individual’s rights, Stephenville Police Chief Dan Harris explained at the Tuesday, March 3 city council meeting.
Retired Police Chief Kevin Lunsford, Program Manager for the Texas Best Practices Accreditation Program as part of the Texas Police Chiefs Association Foundation was on hand to present Stephenville PD its award.
Since its inception in 2006, over 220 Texas Law Enforcement Agencies have been Accredited and many more are currently in the process to become Accredited Agencies. While members of the Texas Police Chiefs Association recognize and support the national accreditation program, the Texas Best Practices Accreditation Program has clearly become the new Gold Standard for Texas Law Enforcement.
“You guys are familiar with accreditation programs … hospitals, universities, schools, that sort of thing. The one thing they all have in common is professional excellence, and you have to prove you are achieving a set of standards, and ours is the same. We have 173 standards they have to comply with, and these are based on Texas law, court decisions, things like that,” Lunsford said. “Standards cover a wide range of subjects from use of force, to protection of individual’s rights, pursuits, property and evidence management, training … the whole gamut just to name a few.”
Lunsford said the process is not easy, and Harris echoed that sentiment, and that the agency had spent 21 months working on modifying policies, procedures, operations in order to meet the rigorous standards.
“This came with certified assessors coming to their site, interviewed staff, inspected facilities, rode with officers to ensure compliance with these standards in person,” he said.
After that, a 13-page report is written and sent to the accreditation committee comprised of nine different police chiefs and sheriffs from across the state. They chose unanimously to award the department, which does not always occur.
“It assures, you, the council, and you, the community, that the Stephenville Police Department is operating in a manner that reflects best practices in law enforcement across the state,” Lunsford said.
In order to stay accredited, the department must be recertified in person every four years and submit an annual report.
“I cannot say thank you enough, because one, this wouldn’t have been possible without your gracious support of the police department, and two, almost three years ago I asked for a parttime position, just a 20hour a week person that could help accomplish this,” Harris said to City Manager Jason King and the city council.
Harris explained he originally met Amy Winsett when she came to the PD because she found a toddler wandering down the middle of Belknap in their diaper without anyone around.
Harris said as they tried to figure out who the toddler belonged to, he couldn’t help but think Winsett needed to come work for the department and expressed that to her. That question spurred her taking the part-time position.
“She didn’t know what that torture would be, but she became the accreditation manager for the department,” Harris said. Though Harris didn’t know this at the time, Winsett is the daughter of a retired police captain.
“Not only did Amy for 21 months keep us on task to make this a possibility, but all of the staff had to help. It was tough to look at every single little thing you do, make some changes, keep some things, and [get] grilled completely over and over. Not only do you have to put it on paper, but you have to back it up,” Harris said. “This absolutely means the world to me.”
All city councilmembers and King congratulated Chief Harris and the PD for their hard work and efforts.