For Immediate Release

Tuesday, May 10, 2016

Contact: John Guilfoil
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: john@jgpr.net

Winchester Police Department Awarded Full State Re-Accreditation

WINCHESTER — Chief Kenneth C. Albertelli is pleased to announce that the Winchester Police Department earned its re-accreditation from the Massachusetts Police Accreditation Commission (MPAC) last week.

The department received its award at a ceremony on Thursday, May 5 at the Connors Center in Dover.

“This is great accomplishment that involved the entire department working together to ensure we met all the necessary standards for accreditation,” Chief Albertelli said. “I am extremely proud of everyone’s hard work and dedication during this process.”

The accreditation process is long and vigorous. It involves both an internal self-review and an external assessment by the commission’s team of experts. The process is a self-initiated 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.

Under the leadership of Chief Albertelli, the Winchester Police Department was assessed in January by a team of commission-appointed assessors. The Assessment Team found the department to be in compliance with all applicable standards for accreditation.

“Going through the process initially requires intense self-scrutiny, and ultimately provides a quality assurance review of the agency,” Donna Taylor Mooers, the Commission’s Executive Director said in statement. “To conduct the initial self-assessment and prepare for the on-site review of the 246 mandatory standards and 83 optional standards by the Commission, in 2016, Chief Albertelli appointed Lt. Peter MacDonnell, Sgt. Joseph Abdella and Sgt. Edward Donohue to serve as the Department’s Accreditation Managers.

This is the third time the Winchester Police Department received its accreditation through MPAC. They first earned the accolade in 2009.

The MPAC program requires that departments meet all the mandatory standards and percentage of the 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, Traffic, Training, Drug Enforcement and Victim/Witness Assistance.

The commission offers two program awards: certification and accreditation, with accreditation the higher of the two. Accreditation is granted for a period of three years. Participation in the program is strictly voluntary.

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