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The Windsor Police Department’s policies have been brought up to the standards of the Virginia Law Enforcement Professional Standards Commission (VLEPSC) as the department progresses in its journey toward earning state accreditation.

Windsor Police Chief Rodney “Dan” Riddle estimates his department could be appearing before the commission to complete the accreditation process in either the first or second quarter of 2025.

It was announced in September 2023 that Windsor had reached a written settlement with Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares to resolve a lawsuit alleging an “unlawful pattern” of conduct by the WPD.

The 11-page court order, which Judge H. Thomas Padrick signed on Sept. 7, 2023, required the WPD to obtain accreditation from the VLEPSC, which Miyares described as the “gold standard in policing” in a news release.

Riddle had previously shared information on his department’s accreditation journey in a January 2024 interview, and he shared an update on that journey Thursday, Oct. 31.

“The accreditation process is moving along,” he said. “The process is much more tedious than I anticipated. That, along with operational duties, has created a slower pace than I would like.”

Nevertheless, key progress has been made.

“All WPD policies have been brought up to VLEPSC standards and have all been transferred over to PowerDMS,” he said.

PowerDMS is an accreditation management software system.

“We have completed about 63% of all the proof-gathering to date,” he said. “We anticipate finishing proof collection and related non-occurrence memos by late November.”

Proof-gathering refers to the assembly of evidence proving the department is following its policies. 

“After proof collection is finished, WPD will run a mock assessment in PowerDMS virtually to see what corrections or adjustments need to be made by our accreditation team,” Riddle said. “Within 45 days of the initial mock assessment, WPD will conduct a full mock assessment to include static displays and on-site assessors. After the second mock assessment, WPD will correct any deficiencies found and will then apply to (Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services) VADCJS and VLEPSC for an official assessment and accreditation.” 

WPD’s accreditation team has included accreditation manager Derrick Mays and Lexipol, a company that provides comprehensive policy, training and wellness solutions for public safety and local government. Riddle and members of his department have been meeting with Mays and Lexipol to work on the accreditation process.

“The accreditation team is meeting as needed to review proofs and discuss suggested proofs of compliance along with non-occurrence memos as needed,” Riddle stated on Oct. 31. “In addition, we have created about a dozen new internal forms needed for compliance with VLEPSC standards.”

Riddle confirmed that multiple upgrades have been made to the Windsor Police Station’s Property & Evidence storage area.

He noted that the upgrades were made “with a focus on enhancing security and access control to bring the area into compliance with VLEPSC standards and increase efficiency and organization.”

The construction capabilities of some of the department’s officers helped avoid the need for hiring a contractor to make the required upgrades.

“WPD officers installed a security cage inside the P&E section,” Riddle stated. “The cage was purchased from a vendor, and the installation was completed by our officers over three days.”

Riddle offered his estimate for when his department’s accreditation process will be complete.

“In a perfect world we would like to appear before the commission during their 2025 first quarter meeting,” he said. “However, the reality is with the holiday season upon us and daily operational requirements, a more realistic time frame would be the 2025 second quarter commission meeting. The full mock on-site assessment is going to be labor-intensive, but if we can get it completed in early January and correct the deficiencies quickly, we might be able to pull it off. The process has been a continual learning process for me and the members of the WPD.”