The Parsons Police Department receives an A-plus rating in a new Police Agency Professional Excellence Scorecard, scoring 92.5 out of 100.

The scorecard is designed to evaluate police departments on more than crime and enforcement statistics. It looks at areas including professionalism, accountability, transparency, community engagement, victim services, technology and measurable public-safety performance.

The assessment was initially developed for the Parsons Police Department, with the goal of creating a methodology that can eventually be applied to other Kansas law-enforcement agencies.

The scorecard also notes that crime rates can be influenced by factors outside a police department’s control, and says crime statistics alone can give a misleading picture of an agency.

Officials emphasize the scorecard is a benchmarking and transparency assessment, not a government accreditation, regulatory inspection or independent professional audit. The Parsons assessment is rated A+ Excellent.