West Sacramento Police Officer Eugene Semeryuk communicates by phone as fellow Officer Thomas Bowler checks a driver's information on Thursday. A review gave their department high marks. Sacramento Bee/Brian Baer

West Sac accreditation is a milestone for police

By Steve Gibson -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 2:15 a.m. PDT Friday, November 22, 2002

After nearly three years of internal and outside review, the West Sacramento Police Department has been singled out for national recognition.

At a conference last weekend in Portland, Ore., the department received accreditation from the Fairfax, Va.-based nonprofit group Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies.

Mayor Christopher Cabaldon hailed it as recognition of the city's "commitment to continuous improvement."

Although relatively few police agencies in California seek the commission's accreditation, Police Chief Gary Leonard called it a worthwhile endeavor.

Nationally, the chief said, about one-fourth of police officers serve in agencies that have received such accreditation.

"It is a complete and systematic review of everything in the department -- how we run it, all our policies and all our procedures," Leonard said. "Agencies that go through it experience a big reduction in civil suits and liability issues. "

He said the process included a public hearing and a three-day audit by an outside team of law-enforcement experts.

Cabaldon said opening the Police Department to outside scrutiny "raises public confidence and cuts liability costs. Sunshine is the best disinfectant."

The process for West Sacramento, which has 62 sworn officers, cost about $42,000, all from asset-seizure money.

"So the criminals we arrested actually paid for this," Leonard said.

Other agencies in Northern California that have received accreditation include the Alameda County Sheriff's Department and Concord Police Department.

Neither the Sacramento Police Department nor the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department plans to seek accreditation, according to officials.

"I think it's great that West Sacramento did it, I really do," said Sacramento County Undersheriff John McGinnis. "It adds to their credibility."

But both McGinnis and Sacramento Deputy Chief Albert Najera said their agencies already exceed guidelines of the California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training.

"It's a good program ... but it requires a lot of time and effort," Najera said of the accreditation process. "It would really be expensive for us to do."

The Sacramento Police Department has about 700 sworn officers, the Sheriff's Department, about 1,700.

"Realistically," McGinnis said, "it may be a little simpler for a smaller agency. We may someday find it's advantageous to do something like that.

"Right now, we would rather use our precious resources to keep neighborhoods safe and maintain our jails," he said.

Leonard acknowledged the voluntary process has not caught on in California.

"Some city managers and some risk managers in California just aren't aware of the process and don't yet realize what the benefits are," Leonard said.

"It just sounds better, I think, to say your agency has undergone an independent audit and has been accredited by a national organization."

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