The Peoria Police Department is seeking accreditation through the Arizona Association of Chiefs of Police and Arizona Law Enforcement Accreditation Program.

This accreditation program is a progressive and time-proven method of measuring and improving law enforcement agencies' overall performance.

ALEAP Interim Accreditation Program Director Rich Jessup explains that the program's purpose is to provide law enforcement agencies in the state with an avenue for demonstrating their compliance with commonly accepted best practices and industry standards.

A team of assessors from ALEAP will arrive on Wednesday, Dec. 11 to examine all aspects of the Peoria Police Department, including policies, procedures, management, operations and support services.

In order to achieve accredited status, the Peoria Police Department must comply with 174 standards.

Peoria Police Chief Thomas Intrieri said accreditation necessitates greater accountability within the agency by consistently evaluating the agency’s systems to ensure best practices are followed and further expanded for professional excellence.

"With reduced risk and liability exposure, stronger defense against civil lawsuits, increased community advocacy, and more confidence in the agency’s ability to operate efficiently and respond to community needs, the Peoria Police Department is proud to participate in the accreditation process,” he said.

As part of the final on-site assessment on Dec. 11, employees and members of the public are invited to provide comments to the assessment team. Comments can be submitted three different ways -

Telephone: The public may call 623-773-4648 on Wednesday, Dec. 11, between the hours of 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. Please be aware that telephone comments are limited to five minutes.

Written: Comments may be dropped off at either Peoria Police Department locations during normal lobby hours or mailed to Jeana Johnson at 8351 W. Cinnabar Ave, Peoria, AZ 85345, until Dec. 12.

Online: Comments may be submitted until Dec. 12 at https://www.peoriaaz.gov/government/departments/police/arizona-law-enforcement-accreditation-program.

Comments must address the agency's ability to comply with the standards set forth by ALEAP's commission board.

For more information on these standards, please contact Accreditation Manager Jeana Johnson at 623-773-8963 or jeana.johnson@peoriaaz.gov.

The Arizona Association of Chiefs of Police is the accrediting agency in the state of Arizona. To learn more about the Arizona Association of Chiefs of Police, visit https://www.azchiefsofpolice.org/.