Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, July 31, 1994 TAG: 9408010050
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DIANE STRUZZI STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: GRAND RAPIDS, MICH. LENGTH: Medium
Hooper looked to his five colleagues who surrounded him and credited them and the department for their commitment to the accreditation process.
When asked how he felt, he smiled broadly and said simply that he was ``relieved'' and ``very pleased.''
Just two days before Hooper celebrates his 27th year as Roanoke's police chief, his staff got the nod of approval from the national commission on accreditation at its second conference this year. The commission holds its meetings in various cities three times a year.
Grand Rapids was the final stop for Roanoke on a five-year journey toward certification, which lends credibility and consistency to a police force.
But Saturday's achievement was no surprise to Hooper or the staff members who traveled with him. All were confident they would receive accreditation.
The department's effort has been at full throttle since Hooper appointed a team of officers to monitor the process 18 months ago. It previously was slowed because not enough staff members were assigned to coordinating the department's guidelines with the commission's.
Accreditation is granted by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies Inc., based in Fairfax, Va. The commission - which includes members of law enforcement agencies, the criminal justice system and municipal governments - conducts an in-depth look at a department's policies and procedures.
It has accredited more than 280 agencies nationwide.
Roanoke is the third police department in Southwestern Virginia to be accredited, joining the Roanoke County and Blacksburg police departments.
In Virginia, 32 police agencies are accredited by the national commission.
City officials say the certification will be an added feature for potential industries and businesses considering moving to the area.
Those businesses want to ``look at the quality of education, the neighborhoods and the public safety issue - how professional are a city's fire and police departments,'' said Public Safety Director George Snead.
The arduous accreditation process included bringing the 120-year-old police force up to the standards and policies set by the commission. The department also had to hold an on-site assessment evaluation and answer questions during a commission hearing.
To pass muster, Roanoke met 622 of the commission's 897 standards, which included policies on recruitment, community outreach and incident documentation. Nineteen standards were optional, and 256 standards were not applicable to the Roanoke police force.
In May, the department was host to a three-member assessment team who spent six days with Roanoke officers. The team participated in ride-alongs with the patrol division, reviewed records and conducted a public hearing for community comments.
Saturday, commissioners described that on-site evaluation as a ``very clean'' assessment for the Roanoke department.
Commission members asked if accreditation had changed the department's affirmative-action hiring practices.
Hooper said that the push to recruit more women and minorities to the force came during 1990 and 1991 and was sparked by the community and the department's own self-assessment.
Reflective of that effort are the last four academy classes, in which more than 40 percent of the students have been minorities, Hooper said. He said that recruiting minorities from the Roanoke Valley has been difficult because there have not been many responses.
Eighteen other police agencies from across the country also were accredited or reaccredited during Saturday's conference.
Roanoke will be re-evaluated by the commission in five years and must pass an on-site assessment at that time. To monitor policy changes set by the commission, Officer Russell "Buzzy" Stiff has been appointed as accreditation manager.
``This is a collective thing,'' Hooper said. ``I wanted to see this happen. [Accreditation] validates our police practices and the quality of the services provided for the city of Roanoke.''
by CNB