Sheriffs celebrate accreditation, others prefer accountability

 Sheriffs celebrate accreditation, others prefer accountability

By Hayden Mitman

September 20, 2021

ALLENTOWN, Pa. – The Lehigh County Sheriff’s Office recently received accreditation from The Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association. 

To receive this accreditation, law enforcement agencies must be evaluated in an effort to improve their overall performance.

Lehigh County Sheriff, Joseph Hanna, celebrated the achievement.

“The Lehigh County Sheriff’s office is now part of an exclusive group of 135 accredited law enforcement agencies in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania,” he said. “This is a monumental day for the Lehigh County Sheriff’s Office.”  

This program aims to provide police accountability and improve community relations.  Police departments in Allentown, Catasauqua, Emmaus and South Whitehall Township are similarly accredited. 

Ashleigh Strange, regional organizer for Lehigh Valley Stands Up, a community advocacy organization, said this might not carry much weight.

“Accreditation gets thrown around a lot as supposed to be a good thing, but we are pushing for police accountability and a divestment from policing and investing in community programs,” said Strange.

Every three years, the Lehigh County Sheriff’s Office will be re-evaluated in order to keep accreditation. 

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