In September 2019, the Niles Police Department received accreditation, Tier One, from the Illinois Law Enforcement Accreditation Program (ILEAP) from the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police. The accreditation process took approximately six months to complete. The ILEAP accreditation process reviews four general subject areas: Administration, Operations, Personnel and Training. All are mandatory except for those that are not applicable by function. The ILEAP program has two tiers of accreditation, Tier one which has 67 standards and Tier Two which has 180 standards.
ASSESSMENT: The assessment consisted of two to three days of file review prior to arrival, department tours, vehicle inspection, interviews, ride-alongs, and an exit interview. Two or more assessors were assigned and they work with the Accreditation Manager, Commander Nicholas Beyer on all aspects of the on-site. A two-hour public opinion phone-in session was held. Finally the assessors conducted exit interviews on-site with every Bureau and Unit within the department. The last set is a Council Review, in which the lead assessor submitted an Assessment Report to the ILEAP Committee Chair, who reviews and distributes the report to the Council for its review and action. The accreditation is valid for four (4) years