Crime & Safety

Many Lauded at Tuesday's Council Meeting

School board member Rachel Kirkland, Firefighters Todd Lupton and Joseph Neiberger, as well as the entire city police force recognized Tuesday.

 Manassas Park Police received their certificate of reaccreditation and were some of  the many lauded for various achievements by city officials Tuesday during the regularly scheduled meeting of Manassas Park City Council.

 The accreditation process is entirely voluntary and the agency must apply for reaccreditation every four years.

 When a law enforcement agency is seeking accreditation or reaccreditation, a  team of assessors from the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) visits and inspects the agency, then issues an official report to the criminal justice services executive board, Gary Dillon program manager of the DCJS Virginia Law Enforcement Professional Standards Division told council Tuesday.

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 The agency earned the accreditation several months ago, but the official certificate from DCJS was presented to the department and the city at the city council meeting.

“All accreditation programs are designed to measure and confirm compliance of the participating agency of whatever profession they are involved in,” he said.  “It is one of the only means by which citizens and government leaders can be assured the agency is maintaining the high performance marks that the community has a right to.”

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 Out of 417 agencies eligible for accreditation in the Commonwealth, the Manassas Park Police Department is one a mere 82 who have rose to the level of being an accredited agency, Dillon said

 Two other members of the Manassas Park public safety commiunity were recognized Tuesday for their achievements.

 Manassas Park Fire Sgt. Joseph Neiberger was recognized for achieving the title of Fire Officer by the Commission on Professional Credentialing.

 Neiberger is the first officer at the company officer level in the department to achieve the designation, Interim Manassas Park Fire Chief Todd Lupton said.

 Achieving the title is voluntary, but encouraged by the Manassas Park Fire Department.

 “Sgt. Neiberger has certainly demonstrated by achieving this designation, his commitment to providing a high level of service to our citizens and is also committed to his personal development,” Lupton said.

 The accomplishment is significant, Lupton said. Neiberger is now one of only 30 or so officers in the world to be designated a Fire Officer.

 Manassas Park City Manager Jim Zumwalt said Lupton, himself, recently became one of only 700 fire leaders in the U.S. to be designated a Chief Fire Officer by  the Commission on Professional Credentialing.

 Lupton will have to document continued professional development activities every three years to maintain his designation.

School Board Chairman Michael Wine spoke highly of fellow member Rachel Kirkland Tuesday during the public commenting period concerning her reappointment to the body.

 “She is a joy to work with,” Wine told council Tuesday. “She is bright, very intelligent—you already know that. She is very involved and very engaged and the (board) would be a sad place without her.”

 Many school boards are filled with strife, contentiousness and division among members, but the Manassas Park school board isn’t like that, Wine said.

They disagree, but there is honesty and trust among all the board members, he said.

 Kirkland’s term on the school board expires this year.

 She reapplied for her position this spring and was unopposed and is now up for reappointment by the city’s governing body.

 Council members are expected to reappoint Kirkland at their next meeting, as the body is required by law to wait a designated number of days before reappointing a member to the school board.

 In other news, the governing body adopted the Capital Improvement Program for 2012-2017 and announced its summer schedule.

 Council plans to meet on the third Tuesday only in July and August.

 Manassas Park Mayor Frank Jones said that a few members of the governing body are expected to meet Tuesday to discuss some city business.

 If more than two governing body members meet at once, then it is a public meeting and it must be announced beforehand.


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