SMPD receives safe policing for communities certification
The San Marcos Police Department was recently certified in compliance with President Donald J. Trump’s Executive Order No. 13929, which makes the department eligible for discretionary grant funding to support local public safety initiatives through the U.S. Department of Justice.
Trump signed the order — “Executive Order on Safe Policing” — on June 16, 2020. The president’s executive order limits Department of Justice grant funding to state and local law enforcement agencies whose use of force policies are certified by independent credentialing bodies designated by the U.S. Attorney General, including the Texas Police Chiefs Association Foundation.
“The San Marcos Police Department recognizes that comprehensive police reform includes policy revisions,” said Chief Stan Standridge. “We are also committed to the tenets of procedural justice: fairness, transparency, impartiality, and providing the community a voice.”
The Texas Police Chiefs Association certified SMPD’s compliance with Executive Order No. 12929 on Jan. 6.
The certification requires confirmation that SMPD’s use-of-force policies adhere to all applicable Federal, State and local laws. There must also be confirmation that the agency’s use-of-force policies prohibit the use of chokeholds except in those situations where the use of deadly force is allowed by law.
“I want to thank Chief Standridge and his team for their work on this important project and for their continued efforts toward meaningful criminal justice reform in our community,” said Director of Public Safety Chase Stapp.
