For Immediate Release
Monday, May 5, 2014
Contact: John Guilfoil
Phone: 781-791-7627
Email: [email protected]
Burlington Police Department Awarded Re-Accreditation by MPAC
One of Just 51 State Accredited Police Departments in Massachusetts
DOVER – Burlington Police Chief Michael Kent is pleased to announce that the department has been awarded re-accreditation by the Massachusetts Police Accreditation Commission (MPAC), making it one of just 51 departments across the Commonwealth to receive such an honor.
The ceremony took place on Thursday, May 1, at the Connors Center in Dover.
“I am so proud that the Massachusetts Police Accreditation Commission has recognized the hard work and dedication shown by the men and women of the Burlington Police Department,” Chief Kent said. “The Burlington Police Department is 100 percent dedicated to upholding the best standards of law enforcement, and accreditation is truly a badge of honor for us.”
Receiving full accreditation is a laborious process, involving months of work and a complete review of a police department’s rules, policies, and operations to ensure they fall in line with the best in professional law enforcement standards. It is considered the best measure of a police department against the established best practices around the country and region. The process includes a intense self-review and an external assessment by the Commission’s external team.
The MPAC program includes 257 mandatory police department standards and 125 optional standards. In order to achieve accreditation, a department must meet all required standards and at least 60 percent of the optional ones. Standards that are reviewed 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, Traffic, Training, Drug Enforcement, and Victim/Witness Assistance.
This is the third time the Burlington Police Department has been awarded accreditation. MPAC Accreditation is done every three years. The department was accredited in 2008 and was re-accredited in 2011 and now in 2014.
The accreditation review is conducted by volunteer assessors from outside police agencies, who are trained by the MPAC Executive Director. Burlington Police Officers also volunteer to review other agencies for accreditation.
Chief Kent specifically would like to credit the work of Lieutenant Thomas Browne, the department’s accreditation manager, along with Sergeant Timothy McDonough and Officer Keith Sheppard who helped work on this intensive process.
“The accreditation process standardizes practices and procedures for the department, keeping us in line with the best practices in law enforcement,” Lieutenant Browne said. “We strive to do our best every day for the people of Burlington, and I am proud that work has led to state accreditation.”
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