NEWBURYPORT — City Marshal Mark Murray is pleased to announce that the Massachusetts Police Accreditation Commission (MPAC) will conduct an examination of the Newburyport Police Department’s policies and procedures, operations and facilities next month.
Verification by the Assessment Team that the department meets MPAC standards is part of the process to gain or maintain state accreditation — a voluntary self-initiated evaluation process by which police departments strive to meet and uphold standards that have been established for the profession, by the profession.
The MPAC team will conduct the on-site assessment starting on Feb. 19.
Newburyport Police received State Certification in July 2003 and full State Accreditation in June 2005. The department has successfully received re-accreditation every three years since.
“We look forward to the visit from the assessors next month,” City Marshal Murray said. “I’m incredibly proud of the hard work done by everyone at the department. Their commitment and professionalism are key to helping us maintain this accreditation for over a decade.”
The Massachusetts Police Accreditation Program consists of 257 mandatory standards as well as 125 optional standards. In order to achieve accreditation status, the Rockport Police must meet all applicable mandatory standards as well as 60 percent of the optional standards.
Anyone interested in learning more about the program can call City Marshal Mark Murray or Sgt. Gregory Whitney, the department’s accreditation manager, at 978-462-4411.
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