Vidor police awarded chiefs accreditation

The Vidor Police Department has become the first agency in Southeast Texas to be awarded the Law Enforcement Accreditation through the Texas Police Chiefs Association.

VPD Chief Rod Carroll said the department began the accreditation process in May 2021 to meet some 182 best business practices required by the program. It too nearly three and a half years before they learned they had met the criteria for the voluntary accreditation.

Chief Carroll said the Texas Police Chiefs Association started the accreditation program in 2006. The criteria include a number of law enforcement guidelines for things like use of force, protection of individual rights, protection of citizen rights, vehicle pursuits, property and evidence management, plus patrol and investigation operations.

The department conducted and internal review of practices and then hand an outsider go through the steps before the state group reviewed the procedures and practices. Police chiefs chosen from different areas of the state went through Vidor's processes and awarded the prestigious accreditation.