An accreditation program has long been recognized as a means of maintaining the highest standards of professionalism. The accreditation process is a progressive and time proven management model. Accreditation provides a means for law enforcement agencies to systematically conduct an internal review and assessment of the agencies’ policies and procedures and an in-depth review of every aspect of the agency’s organization, management and operations.
The development of an accreditation program for law enforcement agencies in Rhode Island was seen as a way of providing the tools necessary for agencies to evaluate and improve their overall performance that is reasonable and cost effective. The Rhode Island Law Enforcement Accreditation Program was formally established through the Rhode Island Police Chiefs Associations in 2012 as a private non-profit organization and is overseen by the Rhode Island Police Accreditation Commission, RIPAC.