The Westport Police Department is in the process of becoming an accredited department with the Connecticut Police Officer and Standards Council. The first step in the process has been a complete legal review and drafting of all policies within the department.

State accreditation is a process through which law enforcement agencies demonstrate excellence in management and service delivery by complying with state accreditation standards.   

The Connecticut Law Enforcement Accreditation Program consists of 327 standards achievable in three successive tiers: 
 
(1) Liability Certification (124 standards); 
(2) Professional Certification (83 standards); and 
(3) General Management (120 standards).  

The State Accreditation program is designed to assist Connecticut law enforcement agencies in operating efficiently and uniformly, reducing exposure to civil liability, and provide excellent management and service delivery.  

The selected standards allow agencies to meet the following goals:  

(1) Strengthen crime prevention and control capabilities; 
(2) Formalize essential management procedures; 
(3) Establish fair and nondiscriminatory personnel practices; 
(4) Improve service delivery; 
(5) Solidify interagency cooperation and coordination; and 
(6) Boost citizen and staff confidence in the police agency.  

The State Accreditation Standards for Local Police Agencies Program is managed by the Connecticut Police Officer Standards and Training Council (POST Council).