The Standards

The RIPAC standards are designed to be attainable by all agencies, regardless of size, with minimal impact on the fiscal assets of the agency.  The program is designed to provide a basis from which a participating agency may seek national accreditation, if desired.

RIPAC standards are designed to reflect industry recognized best practices in each area of law enforcement: management, administration, operations and support services.  They reflect what should be done, but do not specify the manner in which the agency is to accomplish the requirement, leaving implementation to the agency.

All RIPAC standards are mandatory.  Agencies must comply with all of the standards which address life, health, and safety issues, legal matters, and controlling legislation.  Standards (or portions of standards) which address functions for which the agency is not responsible or does not perform, are Not Applicable (N/A) by function.

The burden of proof of non-applicability rests with the agency.  Questions regarding applicability should be forwarded to the RIPAC Executive Director.

Compliance with the standards can be demonstrated in a number of ways.  Commonly accepted methods include the use of written directives, written documentation, observations, photographs and interviews.  While some standards may require only a written directive, accreditation managers are encouraged to utilize multiple methods to prove compliance.

Standard Elements

There are two (2) elements to each standard:

  • The Standard Statement is a declarative statement that places one or more requirements on the agency.  The standard statement shall be interpreted in a strict, literal manner.
  • Guidance is a suggested method of compliance. The guidance language supports the standard statement but is not binding.  It can serve as guidance for one or more possible ways to comply with the standard.

NOTE:  The agency has sole authority to determine the method to effectively meet the requirements of the standard statement and the agency bears sole responsibility to demonstrate compliance with the standard.  The agency may decide to totally ignore the guidance language and comply with the standard statement in its own manner.

Guiding Principles

Functions Performed

 If an agency performs functions governed by standards designated as “not applicable,” the agency must comply with those standards.

If an agency occasionally performs a function governed by standards.  The agency must be in compliance with the standard and cannot be designated as “not applicable”.

Standards

An agency can exceed the requirement of the standard. A semiannual reporting requirement may be done quarterly.  This is but one example of how an agency’s performance can exceed the standard.

Unless otherwise indicated, standards related to personnel matters apply to all agency employees.  Some standards indicate applicability to sworn or to civilian personnel.

Personnel shall be assessed according to the glossary terms.  There is no need for an agency to change its definitions or titles for positions, employees, or other individuals affiliated with the agency.

Written Directives.

 A written directive can be a policy, plan, procedure, rule, general order or special order, training directive, or other document that is binding upon agency    personnel.  The objective of a written directive standard is to require written policy. The form of the written policy can be what the agency has determined best fits its written directive system.

An agency does not need to have an individual directive for each standard requiring a written directive; the agency may have a single manual or directive covering several standards.  The state accreditation process is not intended to generate unnecessary paperwork for member agencies.

A written directive presumes functional compliance with the directive. The integrity vested in agencies participating in this program dictates that the Commission initially presumes that the agency operates in compliance with its written directives.