Emerald THE DAILY
MONDAY, APRIL 28, 2025 OPINION
The contract was ratified, but interest in instructor equity should remain Read story on page 11
INDEPENDENT JOURNALISM PRODUCED BY STUDENTS, FOR STUDENTS
ARTS & CULTURE
Student-run theater group The Pocket Playhouse performs “The Actor Games” Read story on page 7
BEHIND THE BASE
RYAN COONEY: EVERY COACH’S DREAM How has the Ducks’ second baseman made such an impact on such a loaded roster? Read story on page 8
CITY NEWS
How the NWAA accredits the Eugene Police with limited independent oversight As Oregon’s police accreditation mandate nears, experts question the neutrality of the Northwest Accreditation Alliance’s law enforcement-heavy board. Eugene police defend the process, but critics say greater NWAA board independence could improve accountability. By Lucas Hellberg City News Reporter
Earlier this year, the Eugene Police Department was reaccredited by the Northwest Accreditation Alliance, an Oregon-based nonprofit that accredits 60 police agencies in Oregon and four in Alaska. Eugene police officials said the department has been accredited by NWAA since 2015. Police Accreditation Required by Oregon Law
Under an Oregon law passed in 2021, police agencies with more than 100 sworn officers are required to be accredited by a body designated by the Department of Public Safety Standards and Training by July 1, 2025.Currently, the NWAA and the Virginia-based Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies are the only designated accrediting bodies. Police Accreditation Board Independence
One difference between NWAA and CALEA is the composition of their boards. Most of NWAA’s 24-member board consists of former or current law enforcement officers in Oregon. NWAA Executive Director Scott Hayes said that steps are in place to address conflicts of interest that board members might have. If board members are voting on the accreditation of agencies that they are currently employed by, Hayes said that they will abstain from voting. CALEA’s 21-member board is more independent than NWAA’s. Evelen board members currently work or are retired from work in law enforcement; the rest come from other sectors. Those 10 board members include current and former municipal administrators, a criminology professor, a state senator, a circuit court judge and a county attorney. University of Texas Public Affairs Assistant ProContinue story on page 7