The Battle Ground Police Department received the Accreditation Award at the WASPC Conference on November 14. Left to right: WASPC Director of Professional Services Mike Painter, Chief Bob Richardson, Lieutenant Kim Armstrong, and WASPC President Ken Thomas.
The Battle Ground Police Department recently received its third consecutive accreditation from the Washington Association of Police Chiefs (WASPC).
First accredited in 2010, the department must reapply for accreditation every four years, certifying that it is operating under industry best practices and maintaining 139 professional standards set by the WASPC Accreditation Committee.
According to city staff, the accreditation process is rigorous and thorough, takes up to a year to complete, and involves every member of the department. Law enforcement agencies must demonstrate, through institutionalized policy and practice, their ability to meet each of the 139 standards.
Only 21 percent of law enforcement agencies in Washington State have earned WASPC accreditation and the Battle Ground Police Department is one of just two WASPC-accredited agencies in Clark County.
“This is an outstanding achievement by our department and by our accreditation manager, Lieutenant Kim Armstrong,” said Police Chief Bob Richardson, “Meeting the WASPC standards reduces risk, improves transparency, and increases the professionalism of our agency.”
— City of Battle Ground
