PLEAC FAQ'sWhat is the cost to enroll in the accreditation program? The cost to enroll in the accreditation program is $250 for agencies whose Chief is an Active Member of PCPA. For all others, the cost is $500 (effective 7/01/2021) Are there any other costs involved once your agency is enrolled in the accreditation program? No, however, there is a $1,000 annual program maintenance fee for agencies whose Chief is an Active Member of PCPA. For all others, the annual program maintenance fee is $1,250. This annual fee does not apply until you become an accredited agency. This fee is necessary to help defray the direct costs of your subsequent re-accreditation on-site assessments. Newly accredited agencies will not be assessed the program maintenance fee until January 1st of the year after being awarded accredited status. What is PowerDMS? PowerDMS is an electronic platform that is partnered with PCPA. Are you required to use PowerDMS to maintain your files? Yes, effective January 1, 2024, PLEAC assessments are done using the PowerDMS format only. How many standards are there? Currently, there are 125 standards. How long does it take to become accredited? It will depend on your current policy manual and the man hours you are able to dedicate to the process. The average amount of time is 18 to 24 months. Once enrolled, how long does an agency have to become accredited? An agency has five years from enrollment to become accredited. What is the Pennsylvania Police Accreditation Coalition (PPAC)? PPAC recognizes and supports the concept and practice of law enforcement accreditation to enhance the quality of law enforcement services in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. PPAC shall serve as a network for member agencies to encourage communication and cooperation, provide mutual support, share member agency directives/regulations, resources and information, and foster the growth of accreditation in the Commonwealth via the conduct of marketing and training activities, and the organizing, staffing and leading of "initial" on-site assessments. Do I have to be a member of the PPAC? No, but we urge you to become an active member of the PPAC. We see this as a benefit to our enrolled agencies. Can a part-time police agency become accredited? Yes, any law enforcement agency in Pennsylvania may become accredited as a part of our program. Do I need to hire a consultant to become accredited? No, most of the accredited agencies have done it themselves, including the smaller sized Police Departments. There are many resources available to assist you and your Accreditation Manager that are either no cost or low cost: Annual Accreditation Conference, Accreditation Manager Training, PPAC, other accredited agencies, Sample Assessment including sample policy, to name a few. Is it true that I will have to change the color of my police cars and uniforms? Absolutely not. If you have marked police cars that are easily identified as a police car with emergency lighting and siren as per PennDOT and vehicle code regulations, there is no need to change anything with your police cars. If you have a police uniform that clearly identifies your officers as a police officer, no need to change your uniform. Can I have a civilian as my Accreditation Manager instead of a sworn Officer? Yes. Several accredited agencies have a civilian AM and/or a civilian being actively involved in the accreditation process. Agency civilian employees are welcome in the PLEAC Accreditation Manager classes and to attend the annual PLEAC Conference. My police station is old, outdated, and unattractive, will I have to invest a lot of money to update my building? Probably not. You are evaluated on meeting the standard not on beauty. There are many Police Departments operating out of very old buildings who are accredited. With some imagination, ingenuity and a trip to the local hardware store they were able to meet the standard even though “it isn’t pretty”. Can I maintain PLEAC compliance by subscribing to a policy provider? The only way to maintain PLEAC compliance is by complying with the PCPA PLEAC program guidelines and assessments. PLEAC does not review or endorse any vendor policy manual nor has PLEAC authorized any vendor to sell a policy manual as “PLEAC compliant”. PLEAC only evaluates agency policies as part of the PLEAC assessment process.
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