On January 8, 2025, the Northwest Accreditation Alliance Professional Standards Committee unanimously recommended to grant the Lane County Sheriff’s Office accredited status. In order to be accredited, an agency must meet 104 professional standards with over 400 separate requirements contained within those standards. To remain accredited, an agency must go through this reassessment process every three years.Accreditation helps agencies evaluate and improve their overall performance. The standards cover a comprehensive list of topics such as Use of Force, Property and Evidence, Training, and Fiscal Management.
Lieutenant Ryan Wells worked tirelessly to meet all of the accreditation requirements and devoted countless hours towards the effort. The Northwest Accreditation Alliance recognized his “outstanding work….in preparing the agency for the accreditation review. His involvement and yours show your commitment to the accreditation process.”
According to the Northwest Accreditation Alliance, their organization “exists to improve the quality of law enforcement and 9-1-1 agencies in the States of Oregon and Alaska and, ultimately the quality of services provided to the citizens of both states. The Northwest Accreditation Alliance proudly provides law enforcement and communications 9-1-1 accreditation to qualified law enforcement and 9-1-1 agencies in Oregon and Alaska. The U.S. Attorney General’s Office has designated the Northwest Accreditation Alliance as the State of Oregon’s independent credentialing body for the purpose of certifying compliance with the U.S. Department of Justice standards of certification on safe policing principles.”
George Custer lives in Oakridge with his wife Sayre. George is a former smokejumper from his hometown of Cave Junction, a former captain in the U.S. Marine Corps. and ran a construction company in Southern California. George assumed the volunteer duties as the Editor of the Highway 58 Herald in 2022. He loves riding his Harley-Davidson motorcycle, building all things wood, and playing drums on the weekends in his office.
