The Upper Merion Township Police Department became accredited by assessors of the Pennsylvania Law Enforcement Accreditation Commission (PLEAC) in 2004.  Our department achieved Premier Status in 2020. To achieve Premier Status, an police agency must be re-accredited five times without provisions or an extension. The accreditation concept and practice is well established in other professional organizations.  For many years, hospitals, universities, and other professional fields have undergone accreditation to prove compliance with a set of professional standards.  The concept of accreditation is a progressive and time-proven way of helping organizations evaluate and improve their overall performance.

PLEAC Accreditation requires the Upper Merion Township Police Department to meet 139 proven standards that address four areas: Organization and Management Roles, Law Enforcement Functions, Staff Support Responsibilities, and Pennsylvania Legal Mandates.  Accreditation is an ongoing process whereby the agency is required to establish policy and procedures against established criteria and have compliance with that criteria verified by three independent assessors during a mock and on-site assessment.   The assessors review training, services, equipment, policies, and participate in “ride-alongs” to verify compliance with the acceptable best practices as set forth by PLEAC.  Accreditation affects every component of the agency and assures the community is receiving professional police services.

The PLEAC recognition is a coveted award that symbolizes professionalism, excellence, and competence in the law enforcement profession.  The community served by the Upper Merion Township Police Department can take pride in knowing that their police department represents the very best in Pennsylvania law enforcement.  Currently, the Upper Merion Township Police Department PLEAC Accreditation is managed by Lt. Dolga and Sgt. Reiner. 

Some of the benefits of accreditation for our police agency:

•Established a credible framework for evaluating agency practices and procedures.

•Reduces agency risk and exposure to lawsuits.

•Decreases some liability insurance expenditures.

•Improves law enforcement-community relations.

•Increases employee input, interaction and confidence in the agency.

•Enlarges the outlook and viewpoints of managers, officers and employees.

•Identifies and highlights the capabilities and competence of the agency.

•Furnishes a solid foundation for the agency to build upon for further progress.

•Provides reliable methods to improve essential management procedures.

•Extends agency accountability to the public and elected officials.

•Enhances planning and innovation activities by all agency personnel.

•Develops improved methods for providing services to the community.

•Encourages problem-solving activities within the agency.