Saturday, October 12, 2024
The Granbury Police Department recently achieved an impressive milestone by being recognized as an Accredited Law Enforcement Agency by the Texas Police Chiefs Association Law Enforcement Accreditation Program — marking the third time in the department’s history it has received this prestigious honor.
According to a news release from the city of Granbury, the TPCA Accreditation Program was first launched in 2006 to assess if law enforcement agencies are in compliance with more than 168 Best Business Practices specially designed for Texas law enforcement. The practices were carefully developed by seasoned law enforcement professionals to assist agencies in the efficient and effective delivery of service, the reduction of risk and the protection of individuals’ rights.
The Best Business Practices encompass key operational areas, including use of force, vehicle pursuits, citizen rights protections, property and evidence management, as well as both patrol and investigative functions. Building on these standards, the Granbury Police Department first earned accreditation in May 2016 and successfully reaccredited in June 2020.
While this is the department’s third accreditation, Granbury Police Chief Mitch Galvan explained that the voluntary process is rigorous and did not come without its fair share of hurdles.
“Becoming an accredited agency is not easy,” he said. “It requires a lot of work reviewing and changing policies and procedures to meet the high standards required to attain this distinction. Once an agency obtains its initial accreditation, it doesn’t stop there. The agency is required to provide yearly reports in several areas, as well as keep up with all the new mandated policy changes or additions that occur during the time leading up to the reaccreditation audit that occurs every four years — if the agency applies to be reaccredited. If an agency chooses to do so, they go through the process all over again. It is a time-consuming process and requires a tremendous commitment from the agency to maintain that high level of professional standards.”
The department began its most recent accreditation process in February, where an in-depth self-assessment of its policies, procedures, facilities and operations took place. Following this internal review, the department requested an independent audit, which included an on-site inspection conducted by trained police chiefs from across Texas Aug. 14. The results of this audit were submitted to the TPCA Accreditation Committee for final review, which lead to the official accreditation Aug. 29.
According to the news release, of more than 2,800 law enforcement agencies in Texas, the Granbury Police Department was the 129th to achieve accredited status in 2016 — and few departments have reached reaccreditation since.
As this is the department’s third accreditation, it affirms GPD’s commitment to maintaining state-of-the-art law enforcement practices and serves as a testament to the confidence the city’s leadership and residents can have in their police force.
“Achieving our third accreditation is a very clear sign that our department is dedicated to providing professional police services to our community by maintaining the highest professional standards, policies, and procedures,” Galvan said.
He further noted that one of the key benefits of obtaining accreditation is the confidence it provides to both officers and the community, assuring them that the Granbury Police Department adheres to policies and procedures that meet or surpass the state’s best practices in law enforcement.
The formal presentation of the accreditation will take place during the Oct. 15 Granbury City Council meeting, and the department will be further recognized at the Texas Police Chiefs Association Annual Conference in March.
“I am very proud of my staff’s continued commitment to be the best police department in the state of Texas,” Galvan added.
For more information on the Texas Police Chiefs Association Accreditation Program, visit texaspolicechiefs.org online.
