(The Center Square) – New Hampshire’s law enforcement agencies can seek national certification under a new state program aimed at improving accountability among police officers.
An executive order signed by Republican Gov. Chris Sununu last week creates the Law Enforcement Accreditation Commission, which he says will “provide a systematic pathway for self assessment and compliance with professional standards” through a state certification program.
“It is imperative that law enforcement agencies achieve and maintain the best practices, policies, training, supervision, and competence when enforcing the law and keeping communities safe,” Sununu’s order states.
It’s not clear how much the program will end up costing the state, but the Executive Council has approved spending $100,000 in federal funding to get the initiative underway.
The new requirements are backed by police unions and based on recommendations by the Law Enforcement Accountability, Community, and Transparency Commission, or LEACT, which was created by Sununu in the wake of the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police.
Last year, Sununu signed a bill requiring the state attorney general to release a list of New Hampshire police officers who’ve been accused of wrongdoing under the state’s right-to-know law, allowing the public to see the names of the officers and their alleged misconduct.
The “Laurie” list is named after the 1995 New Hampshire Supreme Court case involving Carl Laurie, whose homicide conviction was overturned because he wasn’t notified that the lead police officer in his investigation had credibility issues.
Sununu also signed a bill last year creating a fund for police departments to install body cameras, requiring schools to publish contracts with local police departments for school resource officers, and preventing children under 13 from being charged under juvenile delinquency laws unless they’ve committed a violent crime.
Another bill signed by Sununu is aimed at improving vetting of police officers by allowing police departments considering a new hire to request employment history information such as performance evaluations, citizen complaints and disciplinary actions. Supporters of the bill say it will help weed out potentially bad officers.
Senate Majority Leader Jeb Bradley, D-Wolfeboro, said the “changes are important to criminal justice reform here in New Hampshire and have broad support.”
Democrats argued the changes fell short of what criminal justice advocates were pushing for when they first proposed the slate of police reform bills more than two years ago. They also criticized the voluntary certification program, noting that other states mandate it.
To date, only 17 New Hampshire police departments have been certified by CALEA. That’s the acronym for the national program – the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies.
