The McMinnville Police Department now accredited for a sixth straight year.
Administrative Lieutenant Stewart Whitman said the department must adhere to strict guidelines set by the Tennessee Law Enforcement Accreditation program. Whiteman said the process involves a comprehensive review of files and on-site interviews to verify that officers are meeting specific operational requirements.
“Well accreditation itself through TLEA, to be accredited there’s 164 professional standards that you have to meet in order to be accredited,” Whitman said. “And the assessment is where they actually review your files and actually do an on-site assessment where they do several interviews of the officers to make sure that we’re meeting those standards.”
Whitman said the standards cover almost every aspect of law enforcement, ranging from use of force and pursuits to general patrol and investigative duties. He said the department must have a written directive for each standard and provide annual documentation proving those policies are being followed.
“And then you’ve got to provide proof and documentation every year showing that you have not only, not only do you have that written policy, but you’re doing what that written policy requires of you,” Whitman said. “And you have to prove that you are.”
Every three years, two assessors from different agencies visit the department to review files and interview staff members to ensure compliance.
“Well, number one, when TLEA first come out with accreditation, which is state accreditation, McMinnville was the very first agency in the state to achieve that accreditation,” Whitman said. “It was very important to the chief and other staff at that time that we achieved that.”
Whitman said he has fielded inquiries over the last 15 years from other agencies interested in the process, though many ultimately decide not to pursue it because of the difficulty involved. He said not every agency can achieve this status due to the rigorous nature of the requirements.
“I wouldn’t have anything to put there if our patrol guys and our detectives weren’t out there doing their jobs and again, providing the reports and the documentation and that they are, they work very hard,” Whitman said. “And I’m just very proud of them for what they do.”