The Post Falls Police Department is pleased to announce that we have recently received State accreditation from the Idaho Chief’s of Police Association (ICOPA).

The Post Falls Police Department is committed to providing the highest level of quality service to the community. In order to achieve this, we have undertaken and successfully completed our mission to become an accredited law enforcement agency.

Accreditation, long considered an essential component of establishing professional excellence in other professional fields, is a relatively new concept for law enforcement agencies. Set to the same professional tone as accreditation programs required for schools, universities, and hospitals, the law enforcement accreditation program through ICOPA is recognized as a means of maintaining the highest standards of professionalism.

Attaining accredited status demonstrates to the community that an agency is committed to maintaining the highest standards of professional law enforcement service. Fully compatible with the community policing philosophy, accreditation encourages greater cooperation and communication between citizens and law enforcement.

Accreditation is awarded by The Idaho Chiefs of Police Association who conducts an on-site evaluation of an agencies policies, procedures and practices. The agency must meet 94 specific requirements and proscribed standards. The standards by which agencies are measured specify what should be addressed in agency policies and procedures. The standards evaluate all facets of an agency including administration, internal affairs operations, training, investigations, patrol, personnel, traffic, use of force, as well as many additional areas of policing.  

As part of this accreditation process, the Post Falls Police Department amended or added several policies and procedures in order to comply with the required standards. 

For two days law enforcement assessors from several different agencies, scrutinized and inspected our police department including our policies, procedures, facility, security, records, and much more. After an exhausting examination, the team of assessors revealed they would recommend to the Idaho Chief’s of Police Association that the Post Falls Police Department be awarded accredited. 

What it Means to Be an Accredited Police Department:

• Stronger defense against lawsuits and citizen complaints. The practice of the standards set forth by ICOPA will assist in the prevention of lawsuits and citizen complaints. Some agencies report a decline in legal actions against them once they become accredited.

• Accreditation standards give the Department a proven management system of written directives, sound training, clearly defined lines of authority and routine reports that support decision-making and resource allocation.

• Recognition of excellence. Accreditation is a coveted award that symbolizes professionalism, excellence and competence. It requires written directives to inform employees about policies, training to ensure employees’ safety and processes to safeguard employees as well as citizens’ rights. The community can take pride in their department, knowing it represents the very best in law enforcement.

Accreditation standards assure the citizens that the police department meets specific criteria set forth by national and state best practices. We have adopted accreditation standards to ensure that our service continues to excel. The accreditation process is designed to increase citizen and employee confidence in the agency by establishing goals, objectives, policies, practices, core values and a mission statement. These directives are continually reviewed to ensure that we are up to date on procedural changes and changes in the law. Thus, the accreditation process allows for an ongoing self assessment component to ensure that our agency practices what it preaches. It will also increase law enforcement capabilities, prevent and control crime and reduce liability.

The accreditation is valid for five years. For more information on this process please feel free to contact us.