UPD Gets Accreditation

Utica, NY (WIBX) - The Utica Police Department has been accredited by the State of New York.

The accreditation process involved mastering 132 standards mandated by the state.

Mayoral Aide Angelo Roefaro says having an accredited police department lowers the cost of liability and insurance rates.

"So, it's something that just puts the Utica Police Department in line with other great police departments across the state, not that they never were, but now, it's something that's on paper."

Roefaro says an accreditation is not only good for police morale, it's good for the police department's bottom line and it's good for residents to hear the state has put its seal of approval on the City of Utica.

Public Information Officer Sergeant Steven Hauck says some of the standards they had to pass included the way officers are trained, the intake of property, property tracking and sex offender tracking.

Hauck says there's about 550 eligible law enforcement agencies within the state, and of them, only about 215 are accredited.

"What it really means," he said, "is that it can give public confidence that the department is up on all the current standards of law enforcement and all the new training that's out there. And, that we are doing our best to make sure all of our officers that are out there everyday are well trained."