Accreditation is the on-going process whereby agencies evaluate policy and procedure against established criteria, and have compliance with that criteria verified by an independent and authoritative body. The criteria, or standards, are policy development guidelines that represent a level of quality service delivery. The true indicator of compliance, however, lies with an evaluation by trained, independent professional peers. The establishment of meaningful and professional standards and an evaluation for compliance to those standards are, therefore, the two fundamentals of an accreditation program.

The attitudes, training, and actions of employees of Virginia’s law enforcement agencies best reflect compliance with the standards used to create policies and procedures. Policy and procedure based on professional standards will not ensure a crime-free environment for citizens, nor will it ensure an absence of litigation against law enforcement agencies and executives. However, effective and comprehensive leadership through professionally based policy development directly influences the departments’ capacity to deliver mandated services, with a greatly enhanced ability to cope with the threat of successful litigation.

The attitudes, training, and actions of employees of Virginia’s law enforcement agencies best reflect compliance with the standards used to create policies and procedures. Policy and procedure based on professional standards will not ensure a crime-free environment for citizens, nor will it ensure an absence of litigation against law enforcement agencies and executives. However, effective and comprehensive leadership through professionally based policy development directly influences the departments’ capacity to deliver mandated services, with a greatly enhanced ability to cope with the threat of successful litigation.