The Vicksburg Police Department is looking to maintain their top-notch standards for another three years, and the community is invited to put in its two-cents.

The VPD is undergoing their first renewal of accreditation standards they were originally deemed to be in compliance with in 2012. The department will have to regain accreditation every three years.

“Accreditation sets a high standard for law enforcement agencies,” VPD accreditation manager Lieutenant Michael Bryant said. “Basically it has us do our job to a higher standard.”

He said it provides consistency with between 950 and 1,000 other agencies that are also accredited across the United States out of the 11,000 total agencies in the nation.
A team from the Mississippi Law Enforcement Accreditation Commission will be in town Thursday, Dec. 17 and Friday, Dec. 18 to assess the department’s fulfillment of the Mississippi State Standards and the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies standards.

There are 123 professional standards the department must attain to be accredited through MSLEAC and recognized by CALEA. Currently, there are 26 agencies in the state of Mississippi that are accredited through the commission.

Bryant said the standards deal with the officers’ training, their response to resistance policies, their vehicle pursuit policies, evidence control, how well they coordinate with 911, how well they coordinate with other agencies, juvenile procedures, arrest procedures, booking, safe guarding their records and more.

“It’s a wide gamut of different areas that they look at,” Bryant said.

The team headed to Vicksburg next week is made up of law enforcement practitioners from instate agencies that will talk to personnel and examine VPD files, policies and practices.

“We have to prove that we are meeting the standards,” Bryant said.

Members of the community are asked to call 601-801-5310 between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 17, to offer their comments on the local department’s ability to fulfill the standards. Calls are limited to 10 minutes.

Three years ago the department got three calls during the two-hour comment window. All three calls gave positive feedback with one stating their pleasure with the emergency response of fire, police and ambulance when her husband had a stroke, the second stating the agency functions very well daily and the third call expressed gratitude for the police response and capture of a home invader in her house.

“Certainly we appreciate positive comments, but we welcome anyone who has a legitimate comment or concern about our department,” Bryant said. “Any information we get makes us better.”

Those wishing to submit written comments can send letters to the Mississippi Law Enforcement Accreditation Commission Attn: Accreditation Alliance Manager 3750 I-55 North Frontage Road Jackson, MS 39211.

The department will learn if they have gained reaccreditation in early January, but Bryant hopes to get feedback while the team is in town.

“Hopefully they’ll be able to give me something verbally before they leave,” Bryant said.