The New Jersey Police Chief Magazine | December 2020
NJSACOP Law Enforcement Accreditation Program U . S . Department of Justice Certification Process
By Capt . Harry J . Delgado , Ed . S ( Ret .), NJSACOP LEAP-PSAP Accreditation Program Director
Since the release of the article “ NJSACOP Law Enforcement Accreditation Program Designated ‘ Independent Credentialing Body ’ by U . S . Department of Justice ” in the NJ Police Chief Magazine and our follow up E-Lert , many agencies have applied for and indeed received letters of eligibility from the NJSACOP Law Enforcement Accreditation Commission . We are processing the applications quickly in the order they are received .
I would like to address questions as well as additional information required to receive a Letter of Eligibility .
Please remember - the process is not for accreditation ; it is a process for eligibility certification . Accredited agencies must still apply . Certification is a process by an independent credentialing body , the NJSACOP LEAP , which will certify an applying law enforcement agency if it determines — or , within the past 36 months , has already determined — that the agency is in compliance with two mandatory safe policing principles :
A . Adherence to Applicable Laws The applying agency maintains use of force policies that adhere to all applicable federal , state , and local laws .
B . Prohibition of Choke Holds The applying agency maintains use of force policies that prohibit the use of choke holds , except in situations where the use of deadly force is allowed by law .
Certification is a prerequisite to a law enforcement agency ’ s eligibility for Department of Justice discretionary grant funding . The NJSACOP LEAP – PSAP , as a credentialing body , will maintain a database of certified agencies within our jurisdiction , and submit this list to the U . S . Department of Justice ’ s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services ( or “ COPS Office ”), which will serve as the repository for the list of all eligible law enforcement agencies .
Those LEAs that believe they comply with the Standards of Certification can immediately initiate a letter via email to the NJSACOP LEAP-PSAP Accreditation Program Director at hdelgado @ njsacop . org seeking further review and approval . In addition to the application letter , LEAs must include a copy of the agency ’ s use of force policy , or policies addressing the two mandatory standards , and the following numbers :
ORI : This is the assigned FBI number for a law enforcement agency . Records should be able to assist with locating this number .
Employer Identification Number : It ’ s the organization ' s IRS ID . EIN is assigned by the IRS .
DUNS : A DUNS number is a unique nine- or 13-digit sequence recognized as the universal standard for identifying and keeping track of entities receiving federal funds . An agency will only have a DUNS number if they have applied for federal funding . An agency can look up their DUNS using this link : https :// www . dnb . com / duns-number / lookup . html
Once the Application letter is received with the additional documents , the policies are reviewed for compliance , and the ORI , EIN , and DUNS numbers are populated in the database . Once the review is completed , a NJSACOP LEAP Letter of Eligibility is emailed to the agency .
LEAs that plan to apply for DOJ discretionary grant funds for FY 2021 must be certified or have started the certification process no later than January 31 , 2021 . * FY 2021 grant solicitations occur between October 1 , 2020 , and September 30 , 2021 .
Provide ample time for the review of your agency ’ s application . Act soon !
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