Public Asked For Feedback About Westfield Police Department

WESTFIELD, NJ — The New Jersey State Association of Chiefs of Police (NJSACOP) will examine all aspects of the Westfield Police Department’s 9-1-1 Police-Fire-EMS Communications Center, to include its policies & procedures, management, operations, and support services on Wednesday, May 7, and Thursday, May 8, Westfield Police Chief Christopher Battiloro announced.

This on-site examination by the NJSACOP is part of the re-accreditation process for the Westfield Police Department’s 9-1-1 Police-Fire-EMS Communications Center. It was awarded initial accreditation on June 16, 2022.

The Westfield Police Department operates a fully functional, state-of-the-art 9-1-1 Police- Fire-EMS Communications Center, which serves as both a Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) – the point of first reception of 9-1-1 calls – and a Public Safety Dispatch Point (PSDP) – a location which provides dispatch services for one or more public safety agencies.

The Westfield Police Department provides full dispatch services for all of the Town of Westfield’s public safety agencies – the Westfield Police Department, Westfield Fire Department, and Westfield Volunteer Rescue Squad.

It also serves as the after-hours point-of-contact for the Westfield Public Works Department and Westfield Regional Health Department, the latter of which provides local public health and environmental health services to eight (8) other municipalities: Chatham Borough, Fanwood, Garwood, Madison, Mountainside, New Providence, Roselle Park, and Summit.

The Westfield Police Department’s 9-1-1- Police-Fire-EMS Communications Center has “direct dispatch” capabilities, which means both 9-1-1 call answering and public safety dispatching are performed by personnel assigned to the PSAP.

"Verification that the Westfield Police Department’s 9-1-1 Police-Fire-EMS Communications Center meets ‘best practice’ standards is part of a voluntary process to achieve accreditation, a highly prized recognition of law enforcement professional excellence," Battiloro stated.

As part of this on-site examination, both Westfield Police Department employees and members of the general public are invited to provide comments to a NJSACOP Assessor. They may do so either by telephone or e-mail.

To provide telephone comments, Westfield Police Department employees and members of the general public may call 908-516-0894 on Thursday, May 8, between 10 and 11 a.m. E-mail comments can be sent to accreditation@wpdnj.org.

Telephone comments are limited to five minutes in duration and must address the Westfield Police Department’s ability to comply with the NJSACOP’s public safety emergency communications center standards.

The Westfield Police Department’s 9-1-1 Police-Fire-EMS Communications Center must comply with NJSACOP standards in order to achieve accreditation.

Battiloro indicated, "Accreditation results in greater accountability within the agency, reduced risk
and liability exposure, stronger defense against civil lawsuits, increased community advocacy, and more confidence in the agency’s ability to operate efficiently and respond to community needs."

NJSACOP Accreditation Program Director Delgado, Ed.S stated, "The assessment team is composed of law enforcement practitioners from similar New Jersey law enforcement agencies. The assessors will review written materials, interview agency members, and visit offices and other places where compliance with the standards can be observed. Once the assessment team completes its review of the agency, they will report back to the full Law Enforcement Communications Accreditiation Commision, which will then decide if the agency is to be awarded accredited status."

Public safety emergency communications center accreditation is valid for a 3-year time period, during which time the agency must submit annual reports attesting to its continued compliance with those standards under which it was initially accredited.