KENNEWICK, Wash. – The Port Angeles Police Department was honored last week by receiving their re-accreditation from WASPC, the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs. This is their 4th year in a row.
PAPD is among 73 other law enforcement agencies in Washington, which is only about 20%, who are accredited. The process requires meeting 143 multi-part standards, and they’ve done that four years in a row.
The award is a testament to the hard work put in by everyone at every level at the PAPD, and Police Chief Brian Smith says it puts his department in fairly exclusive company statewide.
“Well, it does in that it’s very hard to, I think, meet the standards. In other words, it’s not easy to get there and to stay there. But the good news is, once you’re there, you can say you’re meeting best practices and industry standards, and you can point to the fact that all the things that you didn’t know you didn’t know, that are important, you’re doing them the right way. So, it’s worth it.”
Smith says success is a team effort. Sgt. Clay Rife is the accreditation manager, and Clallam County Sheriff’s Office Administrative Manager Lorraine Shore is their mentor. Smith said PAPD Records Specialist Olivia Hatton handled a large portion of the work during this cycle, as well.
Smith said the Clallam County Sheriff’s Office and Sequim PD are also accredited.
(PAPD photo: Deputy Chief Jason Viada, Mentor Lorraine Shore, Chief Smith, Sgt. Clay Rife and Records Specialist Olivia Hatton.)