Accreditation

Benefits of Accreditation 

Accreditation, awarded by the Virginia Law Enforcement Professional Standards Commission (VLEPSC), increases a law enforcement agency’s ability to prevent and control crime through more effective and efficient delivery of law enforcement services to the community it serves. Accreditation enhances community understanding of the law enforcement agency and its role in the community as well as its goals and objectives. Citizen confidence in the policies and practices of the agency is increased. Accreditation, in conjunction with the philosophy of community policing, commits the agency to a broad range of programs (such as crime prevention) that directly benefit the public. Accreditation creates a forum in which law enforcement and citizens work together to control and prevent crime. This partnership will help citizens to understand the challenges that confront law enforcement. Law enforcement will, in turn, receive clear direction from the community about its expectations. Thus, a common set of goals and objectives will be arrived at and implemented.

Accreditation Process

The initial accreditation process is a minimum of a two-year self-assessment phase developing policy and training while meticulously documenting their efforts related to the nearly 200 standards and program files.  Once the agency receives initial accreditation the work continues on throughout the re-accreditation process over the next 4 years in which they will be reassessed for their containing efforts.

Wise County Sheriff's Office Accreditation History

The Wise County Sheriff's Office was the 5th Sheriff's Office and the 11th overall Law Enforcement Agency in the state of Virginia to receive the accredited status from the Virginia Law Enforcement Professional Standards Commission. We are very proud of this accomplishment and will continue to serve the citizens of our community with the best law enforcement services possible.

For more information regarding the Virginia Law Enforcement Professional Standards and accreditation please follow this link to their website.