MFPD gets ‘gold standard’ honor
Marble Falls Police Department Administrative Assistant Amanda Langley (left), Assistant Chief Trish Ratliff, and Chief Glenn Hanson accept an accreditation certificate from Texas Police Chiefs Association Accreditation Program Director Max Westbrook. Staff photo by Nathan Bush
The Marble Falls Police Department received a re-accreditation certificate from the Texas Police Chiefs Association for the department’s continued work in the Texas Law Enforcement Best Practices Accreditation Program.
“I’ve never been more proud to be associated with a group of people than I am with the team that we have here,” MFPD Chief Glenn Hanson told DailyTrib.com. “The support we get from this community is unrivaled.”
The accreditation program is a voluntary process for Texas police agencies to prove compliance with 173 best practices in law enforcement.
TPCA Accreditation Program Director Max Westbrook presented a certificate commemorating the MFPD’s work to the department’s top brass during the Marble Falls City Council’s Feb. 20 meeting.
“This program has become the new gold standard for professional law enforcement in the state,” Westbrook said at the meeting.
Practices cover written directives for a variety of situations, including the use of deadly force, pursuing vehicles, and being truthful in all official verbal and written communications and reports.
“These standards address the full range of law enforcement operations,” Westbrook said.
Only 206 of 2,800 law enforcement agencies statewide have received the coveted certification.
“The Marble Falls Police Department is a leader in law enforcement, and you should be very proud of their accomplishment,” Westbrook told those in attendance at the council meeting.
The department received its first accreditation from the TPCA in 2020.
“It was not easy to do,” Westbrook said. “The agency had to conduct a complete audit of its policies, procedures, and operations in order to meet these standards.”
The MFPD has been reaccredited each year since.
“Since that time, the agency has submitted annual reports that were reviewed to ensure their compliance has continued with the program,” Westbrook said.
Chief Hanson said the re-accreditation demonstrates the department’s hardworking nature.
“It means a lot to us,” he said. “In doing so, we’re showing our community that we strive for excellence every day.”
Hanson, who has served as Marble Falls police chief since June 2021, continued, saying the honor wouldn’t be possible without the outpouring of support the department receives from residents.
“Across this nation, there has been a lot of disparaging of our profession in the last few years,” he said. “These people that we live with and serve are absolutely the best.”