With the certification, departments are qualified to receive federal grants.
The Sky Valley Police Department and Rabun County Sheriff’s Office received official certification on Safe Policing for Safe Communities by the Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police.
Sky Valley Chief of Police Vaughn Estes said the certification results from compliance with an executive order signed by President Donald Trump on June 16, 2020 regarding “Use of Force” policies.
Estes said the executive order details that departments update their use of force policies to become compliant with certain standards.
Part of the executive order reads, “certification and credentialing: state and local law enforcement agencies must constantly assess and improve their practices and policies to ensure transparent, safe, and accountable delivery of law enforcement services to their communities. Independent credentialing bodies can accelerate these assessments, enhance citizen confidence in law enforcement practices, and allow for the identification and correction of internal deficiencies before those deficiencies result in injury to the public or law enforcement officers.”
“I’m excited we received it,” Estes said. “It shows our department is in compliance with the standards.”
With the certification, departments are qualified to receive federal grants.
A letter from the Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police was sent to the certified departments.
According to the letter addressed to Estes, “the executive order on Safe Policing empowers the U.S. Attorney General to designate independent credentialing bodies-including the Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police-to certify that a law enforcement agency meets the conditions of eligibility of federal grants.”
Estes said that in the process to become certified, he updated his department’s policies regarding use of force. This included addressing, detailing and defining the type of training officers receive, type of force allowed to be used, how it is reported, and how the term “deadly force” is defined and applied in policy and practice.
Estes said that his department has worked hard to become certified on Safe Policing in Safe Communities and he’s excited to now be eligible for federal funding “which in the past, we have been denied,” he explained.
Estes said that less than 10 percent of departments in the nation have this certification, and less than seven in the state have achieved it.
Sheriff Chad Nichols said he’s glad his department received the certification.
“I am pleased that our office has met these requirements, which are focused on “Use of Force” policies and procedures to include training and reporting,” Nichols said in a statement. “This certification has allowed us to be eligible for federal grants, which we have taken advantage of from our Domestic Violence grant to our newest grant, which is focused on de-escalation and use of force training.”
According to information from the Department of Justice, the executive order’s “goal is to ensure that law enforcement agencies continue striving to provide transparent, safe, and accountable delivery of services to communities. This delivery will enhance community confidence in law enforcement and facilitate the identification and correction of internal issues before they result in injury to the public or to law enforcement officers.”
The executive order also details, “unfortunately, there have been instances in which some officers have misused their authority, challenging the trust of the American people, with tragic consequences for individual victims, their communities and our nation.”
Estes said the Sky Valley Police Department has been a fully functioning police department since 1978. He said the goal is for his department to become state certified. This is another step in that process, he explained.
“It will show your community that your department is one of the elite departments in the state,” Estes said about why state certification is the goal. “State certification is an achievement many departments seek to set themselves apart and above the standard. It’s a Hallmark of professionalism.”
- By Megan Broome/The Clayton Tribune