Shelton Police Accredited for Highest Professional Standards in Policing

The Shelton Police Department has successfully completed a rigorous accreditation program that certifies its operating under best practices and standards for law enforcement.

The program administrator is the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs (WASPC) and involves an eight-phase process over several months.

“We are proud to be reaccredited by WASPC,” said Police Chief Chris Kostad. “This means that our department has achieved the highest professional standards for policing.”

Accreditation benefits include administrative and operational effectiveness, fair recruitment and employment practices, better records management, improved use of technology, health and safety, training, and other important law enforcement functions.

“The Shelton Police Department has worked hard to obtain this achievement,” said WASPC Executive Director Steven Strahan. “The community should be proud of their local law enforcement for taking direct and tangible steps to earn the public’s confidence in their operations.”

The Department’s 2023 accreditation follows a previous successful accreditation in 2019. The WASPC certification is awarded for four years before the reaccreditation process begins.

The Washington legislature originally called for the development of standards and goals for law enforcement in 1976. WASPC was founded in 1963 and represents executive and top-level management personnel from law enforcement agencies statewide. With more than 900 total members, WASPC membership includes 39 elected county sheriffs and 240 police chiefs, as well as the Washington State Patrol, the Washington Department of Corrections, and representatives of several federal agencies.