The professionalism of the Northville Township Police
Department was recognized last week with the
re-awarding of accredited status by the Michigan Law
Enforcement Accreditation Commission (MLEAC).
Accreditation verifies that the police department is
dedicated to following the best practices of law
enforcement, according to the commission website. By
reviewing written documents, interviewing agency
members and inspecting the township public safety
headquarters, the MLEAC
assessment team verified that the Northville Township Police complies with 108 standards applicable to the
department.The assessment team is qualified to assess the performance of a department as it comprises law enforcement practitioners from similar Michigan police agencies. One member noted the low use-of- force rate. “This success is attributed to the efforts of our training staff putting together exceptional, relevant training; the efforts of dispatch controlling and directing a scene prior to patrol
arrival; and then officers managing the scene and
employing de-escalation whenever possible,” said Lt. Patrick Reinke. Reinke also thanked the entire staff for participating in the rigorous process, including Public
Safety Manager Lisa Harrison, who heads the
accreditation team. “Accreditation makes our department stronger,” said Chief of Police and Director of Public Safety Scott Hilden. “We have greater accountability, we reduce our risk and liability, and our operation runs efficiently as we tailor our responses to our community’s needs.”
Northville Township Police Department first received
MLEAC accreditation in February 2018. Reaccreditation occurs every three years making this the second
reaccreditation for Northville Township. Northville Township was one of 10 agencies that renewed their accreditation. Twelve agencies received their initial accreditation, including the Michigan Department of Attorney General’s Criminal
Investigations Division, the first state agency Policy to be accredited.
“Accreditation ensures that we’ve adopted best practice standards in law enforcement, which equips us to provide an exceptional level of customer service to our community,” Hilden said. To learn more about the process, visit the Michigan Association of Chiefs of Police.
