Fewer than 200 departments in Pennsylvania have achieved accreditation status.
SCRANTON, PA. – The Scranton Police Department (SPD) received unanimous support for its first-ever accreditation today at the Pennsylvania Law Enforcement Accreditation Commission (PLEAC) meeting in Camp Hill, Pa. The achievement is a reflection of the hard work, professionalism, and leadership of the SPD.
“This milestone achievement reflects the professionalism and dedication of the Scranton Police Department,” Mayor Paige G. Cognetti said. “I want to personally thank Scranton Police Chief Thomas Carroll and every officer and civilian employee for their continued hard work and commitment when it comes to keeping our city safe. This prestigious recognition affirms that our policies and practices meet the highest standards in Pennsylvania law enforcement. We couldn’t be prouder of the efforts that went into making this accreditation possible.”
“Today marks a historic moment for the officers of the Scranton Police Department,” Chief Carroll said. “Accreditation ensures that we operate fairly and consistently and allows us to hold ourselves to a higher standard.”
The Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association (PCPA) introduced the Pennsylvania Law Enforcement Accreditation (PLEA) process for police departments in 2001. A study conducted in the late 1990s determined that many Pennsylvania police departments either did not have valid policy manuals or that existing policies differed too greatly. The PLEA process is designed to ensure that participating agencies and their policies reflected modern and progressive 21st-century policing practices that promote community trust and accountability.
As of 2020, there were an estimated 1,072 municipal police departments in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. With Thursday’s action, Scranton became one of less than 200 agencies to earn accreditation and just the third in Lackawanna County following the Throop Borough Police Department and the University of Scranton Police Department. The Scranton Police Department began its accreditation process in 2022.
According to the PCPA website, www.pachiefs.org, 189 agencies currently maintain accredited status, ranging in size from as few as two officers to departments including the Philadelphia Police Department with approximately 5,100 officers and the Pennsylvania State Police with over 4,800 officers.
PCPA lists multiple benefits of accreditation including, but not limited to, reducing agency risk and exposure to lawsuits; decreasing some liability insurance expenditures; increasing employee input, interaction, and confidence in the agency; extending agency accountability to the public and elected officials; and enhancing planning and innovative activities by all agency personnel.
The accreditation program is voluntary, but it ensures consistency throughout all police operations. Additionally, by achieving accredited status, the department may automatically meet grant requirements for programs that support police departments. Reaccreditation cycles occur every three years, and departments that clear their accreditation through five consecutive cycles gain premiere status.
Accreditation includes an initial application, a rigorous self-assessment phase to compare how an agency’s current policies comply with the program’s 140 standards, and a formal assessment that includes an on-site review of agency files and compliance with the PLEA standards.
ABOUT THE CITY OF SCRANTON: Incorporated in 1866, the City of Scranton has a population of approximately 76,000 residents and is the sixth-largest municipality in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Scranton City Hall is located at 340 N. Washington Ave., Scranton, PA 18503. Residents requiring services should visit www.scrantonpa.gov
ABOUT MAYOR PAIGE G. COGNETTI: Paige G. Cognetti was sworn in as the 36th Mayor of Scranton in January 2020. Her administration is focused on driving economic growth, upgrading infrastructure, ensuring public safety, fostering government transparency and efficiency, and improving residents’ overall quality of life.
Scranton Police Department Earns Pennsylvania Enforcement Accreditation Status | Press Release
Last modified: October 23, 2025
