WILEAG Re-accreditation Announcement

Earlier today, the Wisconsin Law Enforcement Accreditation Group (WILEAG) Board convened to determine if the La Crosse Police Department met re-accreditation standards during the on-site assessment that the Department completed in April of this year.

Following a presentation by the lead assessor, the Board unanimously voted for re-accreditation status for the Department, a designation which remains in effect for three years.

The La Crosse Police Department was the first municipal law enforcement agency to achieve WILEAG accredited status in 1998, and was successfully re-accredited in 2004, 2008, and 2012.  Out of nearly 650 law enforcement agencies in Wisconsin, the La Crosse Police Department stands amongst just twenty agencies that are accredited by WILEAG.

The accreditation process is utilized to demonstrate an agency’s voluntary commitment to law enforcement excellence by maintaining compliance to a body of over two-hundred standards deemed essential to the protection of the life, health, safety, and rights of the citizens the agency serves.  Accreditation provides the following benefits:

• A thorough review of the agency’s status and readiness;
• Reinforces the agency’s ability to maintain the highest standards of professional law enforcement services;
• Ensures policies and procedures are documented in writing and are defendable;
• Assurance that agency personnel are trained and functioning according to policies and procedures;
• Strengthens the agency’s defense against lawsuits and complaints;
• Increases community pride and employee morale though statewide recognition;
• Assures government leaders of the quality of services delivered by their local law enforcement agency;
• A quality work environment for well-trained professionals that aid in retaining and recruiting qualified personnel; and
• Professional review of agency operations, personnel practices, and training policies.

To learn more about accreditation, visit the WILEAG website or view a copy of the 3rd Edition Standards.

The La Crosse Police Department will receive the official Certificate of Re-accreditation at a formal ceremony at the Wisconsin Chiefs of Police Association Winter Conference held in February 2015.