Brick PD Undergoing Accreditation Process, Public Input to be Accepted

A team of assessors from the New Jersey State Association of Chiefs of Police (NJSACOP) will arrive on Sunday, Aug. 26 to examine all aspects of the Brick Township Police Department’s policies and procedures, management, operations, and support services Chief Nils Bergquist announced Friday.

The visit will be part of an ongoing accreditation process.

"Verification by the team that the Brick Township Police Department meets the Commission's 'best practice' standards is part of a voluntary process to achieve accreditation, a highly prized recognition of law enforcement professional excellence," Bergquist said in a statement.

The department must comply with 112 standards in order to achieve accredited status. Accreditation is valid for a three-year period during which time the agency must submit annual reports attesting to their continued compliance with those standards under which it was initially accredited.

"Accreditation provides a mechanism for the agency to continually self assess and improve," said Bergquist. "That process insures that best practices are employed across all the dimensions of police work.

"Accreditation results in, not only greater accountability within the agency but also greater accountability to the people it serves. This results in more confidence in the agency’s efficiency and ability to respond to the needs of the community."

As part of the final, on-site assessment, employees and members of the public are invited to provide comments to the assessment team by telephone or e-mail. The public may call 732-262-1175 on Monday, Aug. 27, between the hours of 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. Email comments can be sent to employment@brickpd.com.

Anyone wishing to offer written comments about the department's ability to comply with the standards for accreditation is requested to write: New Jersey State Association of Chiefs of Police, Law Enforcement Accreditation Commission at One Greentree Centre, Suite 201, Marlton, NJ 08053.

Telephone comments are limited to five minutes and must address the agency's ability to comply with the NJSACOP standards. A copy of the standards is available for inspection at the Brick Police headquarters, 401 Chambers Bridge Road, Brick. Contact Lt. Vincent Pacitti at 732-262-1154 for more information.