The Asheville Police Department renewed its accreditation through the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies.
[Interim Police Chief Wade] Wood said it is a time-consuming and extensive process.
Citizen commentators on the local daily’s web site are not impressed. Most ask what the accreditation means when the evidence room is a crime scene under investigation after lots of evidence recently went for a walk. At least one Occupant was arrested because an officer did not know the law. Ron Paul campaigners took to carrying copies of city ordinances in their pockets to help officers, as they were constantly being asked to stop activities they had researched to be within their rights.
The accreditation is viewed as a way for the department to blow taxpayer dollars out its ears. Part of the accreditation involved developing a list of core values and printing them on coffee mugs and tokens employees who couldn’t memorize them had to carry in their pocket to get in the habit of answering to accreditation auditors.
