Chief James M. Spinney
2 Olde North Road
Chelmsford, MA 01824
For Immediate Release
Thursday, Feb. 8, 2018
Contact: John Guilfoil
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: john@jgpr.net
Chelmsford Police Department Earns State Re-Accreditation
CHELMSFORD — Chief James Spinney is pleased to announce that the Chelmsford Police Department earned its re-accreditation from the Massachusetts Police Accreditation Commission (MPAC).
The department received its award at a ceremony on Wednesday, Feb. 7, at the Connors Center in Dover.
“This is a tremendous achievement, which was made possible by a lasting commitment by our entire department to uphold the highest professional standards,” Chief Spinney said. “I especially want to thank Lt. Hanscom for guiding us through the accreditation process and helping us maintain this distinction.”
The accreditation process is long and rigorous. 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.
The Chelmsford Police Department was assessed in the fall of 2017 by a team of commission-appointed assessors. The Assessment Team found the department to be in compliance with all applicable standards for accreditation.
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, Chief Spinney appointed Lt. Jason Hanscom to serve as the department’s Accreditation Manager.
This is the third time the Chelmsford Police Department received its accreditation through MPAC. They first earned the accolade in 2012, and again in 2015, after initially receiving Certification in 2010.
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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