The NJ Police Chief Magazine Volume 23, Number 5 | Page 5

The New Jersey Police Chief Magazine | May 2017
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Several years ago Mitch divided the organization’s activities into several different divisions as follows.
Standards & Professional Services Division
Traffic Safety Law Enforcement Liaison Grants: In 2005 the NJSACOP was awarded a grant from the US
Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, to provide Law Enforcement Liaison
services to Region 2 (NJ, PA, NY, PR, and VI). The grant has been repeatedly renewed, and we recently received
notification that the option was being exercised by NHTSA to extend the grant through FY 2018.
Providing a job for one of our retired chiefs.
In 2015, we were approached by the New Jersey Office of Highway Traffic Safety to provide similar services on
their behalf to the entire state. This grant was also extended, and is also currently active. Again providing a job
for a retired chief.
Certification: In 2 0 0 3 , t h e N J S A C O P i n t r o d u c e d our initial Certification program, a voluntary credentialing
program for police executives in New Jersey. The program has undergone several modifications over the years to
keep pace with current trends and member feedback, with the current iteration being the “ACE COP
Program” [Accredited Chief/Command Executive]. It has served as a model for several other state police chiefs
associations constructing their own credentialing program.
Accreditation: After several years of development, in 2003 the NJSACOP Law Enforcement Accreditation Program
was established. He was able to secure a $50,000 grant from the Municipal Excess Liability Joint Insurance Fund
that year to get the program off the ground, which enabled us to hire our first Accreditation Program Manager.
In the intervening years, Agency Accreditation has become one of the cornerstone programs for the Association,
and to date over 200 agencies (municipal, county, and state ) have received accredited status from our
NJSACOP Commission.
I believe we have the most robust and influential state-level accreditation program in
the nation, which not only has brought revenue and status to the NJSACOP, but more importantly has played
a significant and positive role in the advancement of policing in New Jersey. It, too, has served as a model for other
state police chiefs associations seeking to implement an accreditation program.
Entry Level & Promotional Examinations: In 2000, this vital professional service was brought within
the complete control of the NJSACOP State Office (having previously been administered by a semi-
independent Examination Committee). In addition to ensuring the professionalism of the program and the
examinations that are provided to contracting agencies, this has permitted the Association to retain complete
control and oversight of this important association function.
Professional Development Division
Command & Leadership Program: The program continues to be the “crown jewel” of our Professional
Development portfolio. We have since 1994 regularly conducted courses at both Northern and Southern New Jersey
locations. Upon request, over the past 15 years we have run special sessions of the course in Bergen County,
Atlantic City, and for the NJ State Parole Board. In 2014, the course expanded by a third with the
establishment of the New Castle County (DE) Section. For many years, agencies in both Pennsylvania and
Delaware have enrolled personnel in our courses. In response to the great demand, this new Section was
established, hosted by the NCC PD. In addition to serving our member agencies in the far southwest of New Jersey,
personnel from Delaware, Pennsylvania, and Maryland also attend the C&L Program at this location.
Police Executive Institute: At the commencement of his tenure, it became immediately clear that the
Association was for the most part conceding the area of professional development for police managers and
leaders to other organizations and institutions. He believed that was an area in which the NJSACOP should
not just participate, but rather should dominate and lead. In 2003 we introduced the NJSACOP Police Executive
Institute, a 5-day seminar style course with a revolving agenda. The course is accredited for 3 transfer credits by
Fairleigh Dickinson University. It may be our most popular course; it annually fills up immediately upon the
registration, with a large waiting list being the norm. We just completed the sixteenth session of the program.
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