NORTH READING— Chief Michael Murphy is pleased to share that the North Reading Police Department recently earned its re-accreditation from the Massachusetts Police Accreditation Commission (MPAC).
During an MPAC award ceremony on Feb. 4 at the Connors Center in Dover, the North Reading Police Department was awarded its third re-accreditation. The North Reading Police Department has been continuously accredited by the MPAC since January 2011.
The accreditation process is lengthy and comprehensive. Participating departments take part in an internal self-review and an external assessment by MPAC experts. The process is a voluntary evaluation by which police departments strive to meet and maintain the top standards of law enforcement. It is considered the best measure for a police department to compare itself against the established best practices around the country and region.
Members of the department’s Accreditation Team, including Officer James Carcia, Sgt. Derek Howe and Sgt. Anthony Morlani, led efforts to earn the re-accreditation. The department was assessed in October by a team of commission-appointed assessors. The Assessment Team found the department to be in compliance with all applicable standards for re-accreditation.
“Accreditation demonstrates that the North Reading Police Department is dedicated to offering the highest quality policing services possible to our community, and that we are regularly evaluating our organization to continue to grow and improve,” Chief Murphy said. “A job well done by our Accreditation Team, and to the department as a whole. The Massachusetts Police Accreditation Commission sets high standards, and we’re honored to have achieved this designation.”
The MPAC program requires that departments meet all 257 of their mandatory standards and 60 percent of the 125 optional requirements. These carefully selected measures include: Jurisdiction and Mutual Aid, Collection and Preservation of Evidence, Communications, Working Conditions, Crime Analysis, Community Involvement, Financial Management, Internal Affairs, Juvenile Operations, Patrol Administration, Public Information, Records, Training, Traffic, Drug Enforcement and Victim/Witness Assistance.
The Commission offers two program awards: certification and accreditation, with the latter being the higher of the two.
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