Due to documentation issues, the Statesboro Police Department was denied recertification for a voluntary accreditation with the Georgia Chief’s Law Enforcement Certification, said Statesboro Public Safety Director Wendell Turner.
“The Statesboro Police Department has recently undergone law enforcement certification reaccreditation assessment and was not recertified,” he said. “The certification process is a voluntary process and not a state mandate.”
The certification is coordinated through the Georgia Chief’s Association to improve the overall functions of the agency, he said.  It is “a progressive and time-proven way of helping law enforcement agencies calculate and improve their overall performances.”
The loss of certification would not affect the department’s performance or services, would not result in any loss of funding and would not cost anything, he said.
In May 2010, the City of Statesboro underwent restructuring that resulted in the elimination of several positions with the Statesboro fire and police departments, he said. One of those positions eliminated was that of former lieutenant Frank Roach, who handled the certification process and paperwork from the beginning.
The department had no recertification issues until recently, when assessors found “too much paperwork” in files that had not been condensed or properly handled by an employee who took over the certification responsibilities when Roach resigned. That employee has been terminated, he said.
Certification’s foundation “lies in the promulgation of standards containing a clear statement of professional objectives,” Turner said. “Participating agencies conduct a thorough self-analysis to determine how existing operations can be adapted to meet these objectives.”
 When the procedures are in place, a team of trained assessors verify that applicable standards have been successfully implemented. Then, a joint executive committee confirms that the agency has met the requirements for certification, he said.
“Certification status represents a significant professional achievement,” he explained. It “acknowledges the implementation of policies and procedures that are conceptually sound and operationally effective.”
The Statesboro Police Department was last recertified in 2008 and is re-evaluated every three years. When assessors conducted a reevaluation recently, they found “several of the department’s policies from 2008- 2010 need updating to current standards and proofs of the agency’s compliance,” he said.
According to Turner, the assessment team found the department had “too much information in each folder for review.” That was one reason assessors were unable to complete the full assessment. “They only have two days to review 118 standards for each year period in 2008-2010.”
The employee whose responsibilities included the recertification documentation failed to take that information and present it in a proper manner, he said.
The majority of items reviewed were found to be acceptable, he said.
The lack of recertification had “no financially adverse effects on the City. The current City insurance provider does not consider the certification process when determining property and liability insurance rates for the police department.
To correct this issue, there have been “administrative changes” within the police department and police leaders will be working with the Georgia Chief’s Association to correct the areas lacking so a recertification assessment can be made in 12 months, he said.
The loss of certification is not a reflection on any officers or on the performance of the department, Turner said.
Holli Deal Bragg may be reached at (912) 489-9414.