Certification : Impetus for Full Accredited Status ?
The New Jersey Police Chief Magazine | February 2021
By Capt . Harry J . Delgado , Ed . S ( Ret .), NJSACOP LEAP-PSAP Accreditation Program Director
During the last few weeks , we have talked a lot about the New Jersey State Chiefs of Police Law Enforcement Accreditation Program designated a United States Department of Justice Certification Credentialing Entity . Yes , it was indeed an honor , but our commitment remains unchallenged to New Jersey State Law Enforcement Accreditation . Many weeks later after processing hundreds of applications , reviewing use of force policies , other relevant policies and procedures into the late hours and weekends I wondered when it would stop .
The reason became clear after our recent meeting of Credentialing Agencies : when the DOJ released Executive Order 13929 , Safe Policing for Safe Communities , it committed to more than 3,000 Law Enforcement Agencies would be Certified over the next 90 days as a result of the Executive Order . As of last count Credentialing entities had nearly doubled that number .
Our success was not by happenstance . It took several meetings and phone calls to convince the federal government that this process of LEA Certification would be best delivered by State Law Enforcement Accreditation Programs rather than a national model . Many states joined in this effort . The result , doubling DOJ COPS Office expectations , is clear evidence of state accreditations programs ability to effectively reach and provide services to LEAs in their states .
This outreach inevitably led to many non-accredited agencies seeking information about becoming accredited . States with startup programs began to reach out to states like ours with experience and successful programs seeking assistance to develop their own programs . This week I accepted a request from another state to discuss our program .
DOJ COPS Director Philip Keith recognized the influence of state accreditation programs as the certification process evolved . I personally had a great opportunity to discuss one-on-one with Director Keith how to legitimize AccredNet as an organization that could represent all states with accreditation programs and provide assistance to those that do not . New Jersey has long been involved as a leader in this network of states with stand-alone accreditation programs .
And so , I believe that all the hard work invested in DOJ Certification of Eligibility for COPS Grants raised the importance of LEAs seeking full accredited status . As I discussed with Director Keith , perhaps the impetus needed not just for AccredNet to increase its role as representative of state accreditation but for local agencies to seek the benefits of full accreditation beyond certification . It is no coincidence that just in the last two weeks we at NJSACOP LEAP have received five new applications from agencies eager to start this process .
For more information I can be reached at hdelgado @ njsacop . org
ACEs Action Plan Will Change Lives , Improve Communities
By Christine Norbut Beyer , MSW , Commissioner , New Jersey Department of Children and Families
Last December , Attorney General Gurbir Grewal and Department of Children and Families ’ Commissioner Christine Norbut Beyer hosted a webinar to discuss the documentary Resilience , a film about adverse childhood experiences ( ACEs ) and their potential to create long-term negative impacts into adulthood . The film provided incredible context for the behaviors that can manifest from prolonged trauma : mental illness , addiction , violence and other social determinants that often involve police intervention .
ACEs is not a new concept . The term was coined during a landmark study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Kaiser Permanente in the 1990s . The initial study surveyed more than 17,000 HMO members in Southern California regarding their childhood experiences and current health and well-being metrics . The study found a direct correlation between adversity and trauma experienced in childhood , with poor health and social outcomes in adulthood . The study participants were primarily white , college educated , fully employed individuals with health insurance .
It found that individuals who experienced four or more defined episodes of adversity in childhood were more likely to experience chronic health problems , cardiovascular problems , depression and other mental health challenges , relationship issues and social challenges , job and financial instability , chronic absenteeism , substance use and more .
In follow-up research , the CDC determined that about 61 % of adults surveyed across 25 states had experienced at least one type of ACE , and 1 in 6 adults had experienced four or more ACEs . In a report released by The NJ Funders ACEs Collaborative , it is estimated that 40 % of children in New Jersey have experienced at least one ACEs , and 18 % experienced multiple ACEs .
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