Seven Orange County Police Departments Reportedly Gain State Accreditation After $380K

An unsigned bulletin circulated this week stating “Seven police departments in Orange County, New York, received state recognition under New York's voluntary accreditation program. The effort was supported by $380K funding secured by Sen. James Skoufis. More coverage upcoming on News12 Hudson Valley.” That specific claim and the $380,000 figure are not corroborated by the state accreditation list or local accreditation notices reviewed for this story.

The New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services posted on December 12, 2024, that the state’s Law Enforcement Agency Accreditation Council approved applications for reaccreditation submitted by seven agencies statewide. The DCJS post listed Bedford Police Department (accredited since 1999), Guilderland Police Department (since 2009), Madison County Sheriff’s Office (since 2019), Ossining Police Department (since 2004), Oswego County Sheriff’s Office (since 2014), City of Peekskill Police Department (since 2009), and Town of Seneca Falls Police Department (since 2014). The DCJS statement described the Law Enforcement Agency Accreditation Program as voluntary and “designed to improve an agency’s effectiveness, efficiency and professionalism; promote training and foster public confidence in law enforcement.”

Locally, Orange County saw a distinct accreditation announcement reported by Wvdispatch. At an Orange County Legislative meeting in Goshen, Sheriff Steven Arteta announced that the New York State Sheriffs’ Association had accredited the Orange County Sheriff’s Office Civil Division. Sheriff Arteta was “honored to be joined by the association’s legal counsel, Alex Wilson,” the Wvdispatch item said. The county report detailed that Civil Division staff met 121 standards over “the last year and a half” to obtain the designation and quoted Civil Manager Shannon Mahoney, who “has over 30 years of experience with the civil process”: “I am incredibly proud of our team’s dedication and hard work that led to this important recognition. This achievement reflects our commitment to excellence and the collaborative spirit of our office. This is a milestone we can all celebrate together.”

Sheriff Arteta told the Legislature that Orange County is now one of the offices recognized by the Sheriffs’ Association, saying, “Out of the sixty-three Sheriff’s Offices in New York, we are proud to be one of the thirty-one offices that have received this designation.” Wvdispatch also quoted the county on the practical benefits of that accreditation: “Accreditation through the Sheriff’s Association ensures that we follow the best practices in accounting, compliance with the law, process service, and proper staff training. These enhancements to our past methods further mitigate risk and liability to the county.”

The three public items on file point to two separate accreditation tracks: the DCJS Law Enforcement Agency Accreditation Council’s December 12 reaccreditations for seven statewide agencies and the New York State Sheriffs’ Association accreditation of the Orange County Sheriff’s Office Civil Division. The unnamed bulletin’s claim that seven Orange County police departments received state recognition, and that Sen. James Skoufis secured $380,000 to support that effort, is not matched by the DCJS list or by the Sheriffs’ Association notice. That discrepancy leaves the central claim unresolved and in need of confirmation from DCJS, the New York State Sheriffs’ Association, Senator James Skoufis’ office, and Orange County officials.