The Morehead Police Department has a new achievement to boast. They are the latest to join roughly a dozen 911 dispatch centers in acquiring accreditation from the Kentucky Association of Chiefs of Police.
Officials said this statewide organization has existed since the 1970s and holds police forces to a higher standard of excellence.
Morehead Chief of Police Derrick Blevins said the program has intense requirements, and having this accreditation for the dispatch center means they have taken many steps.
“It’s a big snapshot of what your agency’s doing and what your dispatch center is doing. There are a lot of criteria that you’ve got to meet, your hiring practices, the training that your dispatchers have to receive, and what they have to maintain. Very detailed on how you handle calls, and there’s a lot of standards in that,” said Blevins.
Blevins said there are strict rules in place about which agencies can be accredited and various standards the department had to reach.
“If you’re not meeting that standard right now, you have to make sure you put things in place so that you are meeting those standards. Whether that’s policy changes or just new ways of doing things, better ways of doing things. You submit an application, and then you have to submit all of those policies and standards that you have in place, then they actually come and do a site visit and make sure that you truly do have those things in place,” said Blevins.
Blevins said the process was well worth it because it means the dispatch center is providing the highest level of care and response to the city it calls home.
The Morehead Police Department has been accredited by the Kentucky Association of Chiefs of Police since 1999 and must renew the position every four years. Blevins said moving forward they intend to continue improving to keep both accreditations.