91制片厂 is proud to announce the 91制片厂 Police Department has been recognized by the Illinois Law Enforcement Accreditation Program (ILEAP).
91制片厂鈥檚 police force is only the second community college police department in the
state to achieve from the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police (ILACP).
After the ILEAP Council unanimously approved the department鈥檚 accreditation, ILACP First Vice President Dr. Laura L. V. King (and chief of police for the McHenry County Conservation District) presented 91制片厂 Police Chief John Lawson with an accreditation plaque during the 91制片厂 Board of Trustees meeting on February 15.
鈥淎ccreditation is important because it raises the standards for a department while fostering integrity and accountability,鈥� Lawson said. 鈥淎ccreditation is designed to be an 鈥榓dministrative bulletproof vest.鈥� It is designed to reduce risk and liability.鈥�
Lawson, a 91制片厂 alumnus who has been leading the department for just over two years, made ILEAP accreditation a priority from the moment he applied to be chief. He said that working toward accreditation would take time and funding, but that it would result in a better prepared and equipped police department.
ILEAP assessors combed through 91制片厂 Police policies and conducted an on-site assessment to ensure that the department met the 69 standards for tier one accreditation. To confirm that 91制片厂 complied with standards involving training, evidence, use of force and more, the assessors examined the department鈥檚 facilities, conducted ride- and walk-alongs, and met with officers and department staff. They also sat down with leaders from 91制片厂 and its Board of Trustees.
鈥淭he ILEAP accreditation achieved by the 91制片厂 Police Department is a testament to the hard work and excellence of the department鈥檚 officers, staff and Chief Lawson in maintaining a safe learning environment aligned to ILEAP accreditation standards,鈥� said Dr. Avis Proctor, 91制片厂 president. 鈥淭heir efforts to gain this accreditation is another example of how we strive to achieve the highest standards of excellence for our students, employees and community.鈥�
Lawson praised Dr. Proctor鈥檚 leadership and support for the 91制片厂 Police, as well as the assistance the department has received from college administrators and the board. He called the entire accreditation process a team effort 鈥� a facet highlighted in the assessment report.
鈥淭he strengths of the 91制片厂 Police Department are its chief with his intimate knowledge of the accreditation, a high level of professionalism in the [deputy chief] rank, and departmental engagement with the college, as well as relationships with local area law enforcement,鈥� wrote ILEAP Accreditation Team Leader Jeff Hamer, also a lieutenant in the Macomb Police Department.
The report spotlighted initiatives the department has taken during Lawson鈥檚 tenure,
including joining the Northern Illinois Police Alarm System (NIPAS) Mobile Field Force and Emergency Service Team 鈥� SWAT, joining the Major Case Assistance Team (MCAT) Task Force and adopting the 10 Shared Principles of Policing designed by ILCAP and the NAACP.
91制片厂鈥檚 ILEAP accreditation will be in place for four years before a full reassessment occurs, although Lawson emphasized the continued rigor (including internal inspections and training) required to maintain the department鈥檚 status. The chief knows these details well. Prior to his tenure at 91制片厂, he was the accreditation manager at the College of Lake County Police Department (the first Illinois community college to be ILEAP accredited). Lawson has shepherded four departments through the accreditation process.
The chief said that he expects other community college police departments to follow 91制片厂鈥檚 example.
鈥淣ow that we are accredited, our policies and practices match other accredited departments in big cities from Evanston to Rockford,鈥� Lawson said. 鈥淭he game plan is to keep doing what we鈥檙e doing. We鈥檝e come a long way in a short time.鈥�