Photo from left to right: Accreditation Program Manager Ken Rice, Chief Jeffrey Wilcox NYS University Police Alfred, Sheriff Timothy Whitcomb, Deputy Chief Patrick Weidel of the NFTA and Sergeant Nicholas Bielowicz of the Geneva P.D.
---
Sheriff Timothy S. Whitcomb proudly announces that the Cattaraugus County Sheriff’s Office has joined a select group of police agencies statewide to receive re-accreditation from the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services.
In 1989 the State of New York became the first state to establish a formal law enforcement accreditation program to help police agencies evaluate and improve their overall performance. It provides formal recognition that an organization meets or exceeds general expectations of quality in the field. Accreditation acknowledges the implementation of policies that are conceptually sound and operationally effective.
The Accreditation Program is comprised of 111 standards 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. 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 topics as high-speed pursuits, roadblocks, patrol, and unusual occurrences.
The Cattaraugus County Sheriff’s Office has maintained accreditation since 2008.
Currently in New York State, there are only 174 Accredited Law Enforcement Agencies of 532 possible agencies.
