Kingston Twp. Police Department earns accreditation

By Elizabeth Baumeister

ebaumeister@timesleader.com

Kingston Township Chief of Police Michael Moravec and Dallas Township Chief of Police and president of the Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association Robert Jolley unveil the Kingston Township Police Department’s certificate of accredited law enforcement from the Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association.
https://www.mydallaspost.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/web1_TTL-KT-Police-1.jpg.optimal.jpgKingston Township Chief of Police Michael Moravec and Dallas Township Chief of Police and president of the Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association Robert Jolley unveil the Kingston Township Police Department’s certificate of accredited law enforcement from the Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association.

Kingston Township Board of Supervisors Chairman Jim Reino speaks at the event.
https://www.mydallaspost.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/web1_TTL-KT-Police-2.jpg.optimal.jpgKingston Township Board of Supervisors Chairman Jim Reino speaks at the event.

Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association President and Dallas Townhip Police Chief Robert Jolley speaks at the open house event on July 30.
https://www.mydallaspost.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/web1_TTL-KT-Police-3.jpg.optimal.jpgPennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association President and Dallas Townhip Police Chief Robert Jolley speaks at the open house event on July 30.

Kingston Township Police Chief Michael Moravec offers remarks at the open house July 30.
https://www.mydallaspost.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/web1_TTL-KT-Police-4.jpg.optimal.jpgKingston Township Police Chief Michael Moravec offers remarks at the open house July 30.

KINGSTON TWP. — The Kingston Township Police Department celebrated a victory eight years in the making on July 30 with an open house.

During the event, the department unveiled its certificate of accredited law enforcement from the Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association.

Dallas Township Chief of Police and president of the Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association Robert Jolley explained the significance of the accreditation during his brief remarks, defining it simply as “best practices.” For an agency to become accredited, 138 standards must be upheld. If one is not met, the department will not qualify.

“If you were going in for heart surgery, I am sure that you would want it to be performed at an accredited facility by an accredited physician,” he said, adding the same is expected of a police force.

“We hold ourselves to a higher standard because that’s expected of us,” Kingston Township Chief of Police Michael Moravec said.

Moravec is both proud and humbled with the department’s achievement.

“We have a very committed and dedicated group of police officers here,” he said.

The department enrolled in the accreditation program about eight years ago. When questioned regarding the time length of the process, the chief held up a policy book that is a couple inches thick. Many policies needed to be updated, file maintenance issues needed correcting and assessments had to be completed.

When Moravec was appointed chief in October 2014, one of the first tasks he received from the township’s board of supervisors was to complete the accreditation process, he said.

No problem. The department was well on its way.

But then he learned of his end of the year deadline.

“I felt weak and dizzy, my eyes rolled in the back of my head and I felt sick,” he said, laughing as he remembered.

But when he presented the task to his officers, not one balked.

“To their credit, we were ready by Dec. 31,” he said.

Township Board of Supervisors Chairman Jim Reino said in his brief remarks during the ceremony he believes the township has “the best police force in all of Northeastern Pennsylvania.”

“The accreditation is a very tough thing to do,” he said. “And our officers all work together, along with the rest of the staff. This just shows what kind of town Kingston Township really is. We’ve been a very progressive, straightforward type of town. We’ve tried to be leaders in the community and now we’re leaders in the state with our accreditation of our police force.”

The Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association, according to its website, introduced the program in July 2001, and since then more than 300 agencies enrolled, 101 achieving accredited status.

The Kingston Township Police Department is the fourth in Luzerne County to achieve accreditation. Dallas Township, Hanover Township and Swoyersville Borough are also accredited. Municipal departments in the county that have enrolled but have not yet completed the process include Butler Township, Kingston Borough, Laflin Borough, Lehman Township, Nanticoke City, West Pittston Borough, Wilkes-Barre City and Wright Township.

Reach Elizabeth Baumeister at 570-704-3943 or on Twitter @AbingtonJournal.