(Courtesy photo/Lake County Sheriff's Office)
LAKE COUNTY — Lake County Sheriff's Office is thrilled to receive extra funding for the department, thanks to a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice.
Lake County Sheriff Rich Martin announced an accreditation grant amounting to $159,779, was awarded to the LCSO.
"We were only one of nine law enforcement agencies in the entire state of Michigan to receive such an award," Martin said. "That is over six figures in extra money at no additional local taxpayer expense."
Martin said that upon completion, accreditation will set the LCSO apart from other departments, and at a state and national level, they will be "above the standard" for a law enforcement agency.
"LCSO is always moving in a positive direction to create a better and complete service to the community. There is 'rhetoric,' but facts are the facts. Police improvement is the key in this day and age, and this will aid in that mission," he said.
According to a news release from the Michigan Law Enforcement Accreditation Commission, in order to receive accreditation, "participating agencies conduct a thorough self-analysis to determine which of their existing operations already meet some of the standards and/or how the procedures can be adapted to meet the standards and professional objectives."
A team of trained assessors then verifies that procedures and standards have been implemented.
"Accreditation status represents a significant professional achievement," the news release stated. "Accreditation acknowledges the implementation of written directives, policies, and procedures that are conceptually sound and operationally effective."
