KALAMAZOO, MI (WKZO AM/FM) – With trust in public institutions at an all time low, the public ranks small businesses, the military, at the top, and the police at 43%, although they have all dropped in recent years.
Urban areas in southwest Michigan seem to be particularly well served by its police departments, many of which have been accredited by the Michigan Law Enforcement Accreditation Commission.
The Kalamazoo County Sheriff’s Department joined them this month.
Sheriff Rick Fuller says it was not easy, and took the buy-in of his entire staff and two-years to accomplish.
Ron Wiles, the Accreditation Program Director says only about 10% of the state’s police agencies have met their 108 professional standards.
It requires training for officers and policies for handling suspects that prevent the kind of police brutality that have led to police protests nationwide.
Kalamazoo County is only the second sheriff’s department in Michigan to earn accreditation.
Kalamazoo’s Department of Public Safety has been re-accredited several times. The city of Portage and WMU’s Campus Police are accredited. Kalamazoo Township is working on it.
Battle Creek Police and the departments in Holland, Coldwater, Marshall and Sturgis have also met the commission’s standards for best practices.
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