Sheriff Mark C. Curran Jr. is pleased to announce the Lake County Sheriff’s Office is the first and only sheriff’s office in the state to receive ILEAP Accreditation.
On Thursday, April 26, 2018, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office achieved the prestigious ILEAP Accreditation at the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police Annual Conference held in Peoria, Illinois. Sheriff Curran stated, “Raising the bar at the Lake County Sheriff’s Office has been a top priority for me. In a large government office, change cannot happen rapidly. It takes time. When you receive ILEAP Accreditation, an objective, independent body has assessed your recruiting, selection, training, and promotion process. This is something employees and the community should take pride in. This is not an end, this is just the beginning. Today, I am proud to say we have some of the greatest law enforcement talent working for us. This ILEAP Accreditation belongs to the team and I’m proud to bring it home.”
ILEAP is the Illinois Law Enforcement Accreditation Program. The ILEAP Accreditation status was awarded by the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) to Sheriff Curran and the Accreditation Team. Accreditation demonstrates the sheriff’s office has achieved a level of professionalism among our law enforcement peers and validates the methods in which our members provide service to the residents and public. Sheriff Curran pursued accreditation for several reasons which include improve community relationships, reduce liability and risk exposure, and maintain accountability by verifying recognized professional standards and law enforcement best practices.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office was judged based on 67 separate ILEAP standards divided into four general subject areas: Administration, Operations, Personnel, and Training. The office revised its policies and procedures to meet the standards set by ILEAP. The policies and procedures must reflect the standards established by ILEAP and the files developed must show the agency is following those policies and procedures.
ILEAP was developed by a council consisting of directors representing the Regional Institute for Community Policing, Institute for Public Safety Partnerships, Illinois Municipal League, Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority, Intergovernmental Risk Management Agency, two incumbent police chiefs, and a member of the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police and of the Campus Law Enforcement Executives Committee.
The ILEAP Council is charged with developing rules and regulations establishing an accreditation process that encourages law enforcement agencies to demonstrate they meet the model standards adopted by the Law Enforcement Agency Accreditation Council. Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police Executive Director Ed Wojcicki said, “We think it is commendable that a Sheriff’s Office pursued this challenge and submitted itself to an external assessment by ILEAP. We think it is ideal for the Lake County community, good for the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police and a significant moment for the State of Illinois.”
Photo from left to right: IACP Executive Director Ed Wojcicki, Chief James Kruger (Oakbrook Police Department), Sheriff Mark Curran, Deputy Chief Scot Kurek, Accreditation Manager Sergeant Sara Balmes, Program Manager Jim Chamernik, ILEAP Coordinator Lieutenant Jeff Hamer (MaComb Police Department), ILEAP Assessor Detective John Lawson (College of Lake County Police Department), and Chief Jon Petrillo.