The Federal Way Police Department achieved accreditation through the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs (WASPC), Police Chief Andy Hwang announced Nov. 16. This accomplishment was recognized at the WASPC Conference in Stevenson, Washington.
In recent years, the Federal Way Police Department (FWPD) has worked diligently to achieve state and national accreditation, representing the highest standards of best practices in law enforcement, according to the department.
“This accomplishment in no way infers we are perfect, neither as individuals nor as an organization,” the department wrote in a statement. “Still, it does mean there are checks and balances in place, the people of Federal Way are in good hands, and the department is prepared to address and adapt to the ever-evolving law enforcement environment.”
FWPD is one of the eight nationally accredited law enforcement agencies in Washington and is now one of only three statewide agencies to achieve dual accreditation by both WASPC and the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA).
“We are very proud of this achievement, as the process of being nationally and state accredited is rigorous,” the department wrote in the announcement.
There are approximately 17,895 law enforcement agencies in the United States. CALEA nationally accredits only 3.5% of them, and only eight of the 260 government entities in the state of Washington can attest to their police services being nationally accredited.
The Federal Way Police Department has been nationally accredited through CALEA since 2002. CALEA agencies, such as the Federal Way force, seeking the state’s sheriffs and police chiefs affiliate status must comply with all WASPC standards, including those with annual requirements and those not addressed by CALEA.
Law enforcement accreditation is the primary method for an agency to demonstrate its commitment to excellence in law enforcement voluntarily. The standards upon which the law enforcement accreditation program is based reflect the current thinking and expertise of law enforcement practitioners and researchers worldwide.
Major law enforcement associations, leading educational and training institutions, governmental agencies, and law enforcement executives internationally acknowledge accreditation as a benchmark for professional law enforcement agencies.
