Legislation signed by New York State Governor Mario Cuomo on August 3, 1988, authorized establishment of the organizational framework for a new State Law Enforcement Accreditation Program and created a special Council within the State Division of Criminal Justice Services to oversee program activities. The governor's appointment of the Accreditation Council and his subsequent approval of the rules and regulations established the administrative structure necessary for the ongoing administration of the accreditation initiative. The Council met three times during 1989 to guide and monitor the program. The Council sponsored a pilot test designed to determine whether or not the accreditation standards were realistic and appropriate for police agencies of all sizes, to determine the value of supporting program materials, to evaluate existing program services and all components of the assessment process, and to assess the impact the accreditation process is likely to have on participating agencies. Program staff developed reference materials that will assist participating agencies in their efforts to become accredited. Overall, significant progress was made during 1989 to develop and implement the State Law Enforcement Accreditation Program. Appended excerpts from letters received following the statewide mailing of draft standards and rules and regulations, as well as tabular data on police departments participating in the accreditation program as of December 29, 1989