Pictured left to right: Lt. John VanderYacht; Lt. Travis Card; Lt. Matt Huffman; Chief Kevin Turner; Sheriff Kevin Morris (WASPC President)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 21, 2023
Contact: Megan Juenemann
(360) 685-2353
FERNDALE POLICE DEPARTMENT ACCREDITED FOR HIGHEST PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS OF POLICING
(Ferndale, WA) — The Ferndale Police Department has successfully completed a rigorous
accreditation program that certifies it is operating under best practices and standards for law
enforcement. The program is administered by the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police
Chiefs (WASPC) and involves an eight-phase process over several months. It is a professional,
objective, and demanding audit that examines best practices, accountability, organizational
discipline, and performance.
“We are extremely proud to be accredited by WASPC,” said Ferndale Chief of Police, Kevin Turner.
“It means our department has achieved the highest professional standards for policing, to ensure
and improve upon public trust.”
Benefits of accreditation include administrative and operational effectiveness, fair recruitment and
employment practices, better records management, improved use of technology, health and safety,
training, codes of conduct and prisoner security, among other important law enforcement tasks.
“The Ferndale Police Department has worked hard to obtain this achievement,” said Steven
Strahan, WASPC Executive Director. “The community should be proud of local law enforcement for
taking direct and tangible steps to earn the public’s confidence in their operations.”
WASPC was founded in 1963 and represents executive and top management personnel from law
enforcement agencies statewide. With more than 900 members, it includes the 39 elected county
sheriffs, and 240 police chiefs, as well as the Washington State Patrol, the Washington Department
of Corrections, and representatives of several federal agencies.
For more information, please contact the City of Ferndale’s Communications and Community
Relations Officer, Megan Juenemann at (360) 685-2353 or meganjuenemann@cityofferndale.org.
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