LPD secures TPCA Accreditation
The Levelland City Council held a regular meeting Monday, November 20, at City Hall with the Texas Police Chief Association Law Enforcement Accreditation Program Certificate being presented to the Levelland Police Department.
Kicking off the meeting was Amarillo Police Chief and Region Two Director for the Texas Police Chief’s Association (TPCA) Martin Birkenfield who presented the accreditation certification to Levelland Police Chief Albert Garcia and the entire department.
“It’s an honor to be here today for this occasion it’s very exciting. I’m pleased to announce that the Levelland Police Department has been recognized with accreditation by the Texas Police Chiefs Association Foundation for exemplary commitment to best practices and policing,” said Birkenfield. “Tonight, we celebrate the hard work, dedication and unwavering commitment of the men and women who serve and protect the Levelland community.”
Birkenfield explained that the TPCA best practices accreditation is not merely an accolade, but a testament to the department’s steadfast commitment to upholding the highest standards of professionalism integrity and service. It was added that the evaluation process for this accreditation is rigorous and it it’s very difficult to get through it as it requires departments to meet stringent criteria that encompasses various aspects of law enforcement operations with over 170 standards that the department must meet in order to achieve accreditation.
“Under the leadership of Chief Albert Garcia, the Levelland Police Department has met those accreditation standards and they’ve set a commendable example for law enforcement agencies across the state,” explained Birkenfield. “Chief Garcia has demonstrated exemplary leadership fostering a culture of excellence, accountability and community engagement within this department. The recognition is not just a reflection of the department’s past achievements but it’s a commitment to ongoing improvement in adherence to the best practices and policing not only in Texas but across the nation.”
In Texas, there are over 700 municipal law enforcement agencies yet only less than 200 of these agencies have achieved accreditation. Birkenfield added that the LPD service is a good example for other law enforcement agencies striving to enhance their best practices and build stronger connections within the communities that they serve.
“I extend my heartfelt congratulations to Chief Garcia and to the entire Levelland Police Department on this well-deserved recognition and the dedication exhibited by this department,” said Birkenfield. “This is a testament to the commitment to the safety and the well-being of the Levelland community and I hope this accreditation achievement serves as a source of pride for all the residents, staff and council members of this community knowing that their police department stands as a model of excellence for law enforcement.”
Following the presentation of the certificate, Garcia offered words of thanks to his department.
“I just want to thank the staff as this is all due to the leadership of our department,” said Garcia. “It takes a team like ours to make this kind of thing happen and we worked really hard to make this work. We’ve got an outstanding police force with the Levelland Police Department and I’m so proud of every one of you guys.” Highlighting the effort of his department, Garcia thanked his department for their continuous hard work.
“Thank you for your commitment to making this city great for everyone our community members,” said Garcia.
Moving forward in the meeting, City Manager James Fisher shared an update regarding the Red Flour Beetle infestation within the Kauffman Addition and the surrounding areas. Fisher explained there is not much news since the prior update regarding the traps placed in several areas that are monitoring numbers of the beetles. Numbers have continued to show minimal counts, but the city is continuing to leave the traps in place to monitor the situation.
In regard to the ordinance that was tabled during the last council meeting that focused on the storage of agricultural commodities, Fisher explained on-going discussion or being had to create a draft that will appease the community and its business partners.
It was stated that city staff has continued to discuss options regarding the ordinance with businesses within the agricultural community to get their feedback. Additionally, talks with Penny Newman staff has been on-going and Fisher is planning to have more conversations with cotton ginners in the next week.
The City of Levelland will be holding a town hall meeting Monday, November 27 beginning at 6 p.m. at City Hall to hear from Kauffman Addition residents and others who feel the need to attend. The meeting is intended for community members to discuss the ordinance and address any concerns individuals may have.
“We know we need to get this ordinance before council for consideration of approval, but we also know more importantly we need to make sure we get it right and make sure that we have an ordinance that’s easy to understand, easy to follow and easy to enforce if we have to,” explained Fisher. “We’re getting a lot of cooperation from different folks, and I also know that some of the legal representations of the agriculture communities have also been in touch with our city attorney’s office to share some thoughts or ideals.”
Fisher added that his desire for the ordinance is to be applicable to more than just the Red Flour Beetles in the case other incidents do occur. With no template to go off of in regard to the ordinance, Fisher would like to put in place something that will protect the community and businesses within the area in the future if the need arises.
“If there’s some other incidents in the future or something comes up, it could provide peace of mind in the future knowing that we have the tools to manage,” said Fisher. “That’s what we’re all trying to do, but at the same time we are trying to get this done as quickly as we can.”
When speaking on the ordinance, Fisher shared that finding common ground will be the key to providing Levelland with a quality ordinance.
“I’ll say this at the town hall because I’ve said it to every group that I met with, but not everybody is going to get everything they want,” explained Fisher. “We all have to work together to find the common grounding here so this will work. That’s going to be hard because there’s going to be some that what things very strict and you can have some that don’t want hardly any. We’re trying to find that middle ground that allows all of us to work together, to live together and be able to move forward.”