Harrison Police Department Re-Accredited

From the town of Harrison

The Harrison Police Department recently received re-accreditation by the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services/ Law Enforcement Accreditation Program through June 2024, affirming that that the Department meets or exceeds best practices and the highest standards in law enforcement in New York.

The Department first obtained Accreditation in 2008 and recently went through a comprehensive review of operations to obtain another five-year renewal.

“Congratulations to the men and women of the Harrison Police Department on this latest achievement,” Mayor Ron Belmont said. “This designation as an accredited agency confirms that the Police Department is effectively managed and continues to provide the highest quality of police service to the people of our town.”

Chief Joseph J. Yasinski noted that only 26% of all police departments in the state hold the prestigious DCJS accreditation.

“The Harrison Police Department is committed to excellence in everything we do,” Yasinski said. “Accreditation is one more way that we know we are meeting that goal.”

The New York State program became operational in 1989 and encompasses four principle goals:

•  To increase the effectiveness and efficiency of law enforcement agencies utilizing existing personnel, equipment and facilities to the extent possible;
•  To promote increased cooperation and coordination among law enforcement agencies and other agencies of the criminal justice services;
•  To ensure the appropriate training of law enforcement personnel; and
•  To promote public confidence in law enforcement agencies.

The Accreditation Program is comprised of a set of standards developed to further enhance the capabilities of an agency and is divided into three categories.

Standards in the Administrative section have provisions for such topics as agency organization, fiscal management, personnel practices, and records management

Training standards encompass basic and in-service instruction, as well as training for supervisors and specialized or technical assignments.

Operations standards deal with such critical and litigious topics as high-speed pursuits, roadblocks, patrol operations and unusual occurrences.