NORTH READING — Chief Michael P. Murphy is pleased to announce that the North Reading Police Department will undergo an Accreditation Assessment this fall.
The North Reading Police Department has been an accredited agency since 2011. The Massachusetts Police Accreditation Program consists of 257 mandatory standards as well as 125 optional standards. In order to achieve accreditation status, the Department must meet all applicable mandatory standards as well as 55% of the optional standards.
Departments that are accredited are re-assessed every three years to ensure they are in compliance with the standards and their policies and procedures. The continued participation in the program benefits the agency and community by:
- Providing a norm for an agency to judge its performance.
- Providing a basis to correct deficiencies before they become a public problem.
- Requiring agencies to commit their policies and procedures to writing.
- Promoting accountability among agency personnel.
- Providing a means of independent evaluation of agency operations for quality assurance.
- Enhancing the reputation of the agency and promoting public confidence in the agency.
A team of assessors from the Massachusetts Police Accreditation Commission is scheduled to arrive on Oct. 4 to begin examining various aspects of the North Reading Police Department’s policies and procedures, operations, and facilities.
Verification by the Assessment Team that the Department meets the Commission’s standards is part of a voluntary process to gain state accreditation — a self-initiated evaluation process by which police departments strive to meet and maintain standards that have been established for the profession, by the profession.
Achieving accreditation is a highly prized recognition of law enforcement professional excellence.
“Our Department looks forward to this assessment, which will review our continuous efforts to meet the highest standards in modern law enforcement,” Chief Murphy said. “This outside review benefits our officers as professionals, and ensures our trust within the community.”
Anyone interested in learning more about this program is invited to call Chief Murphy or the Department’s Accreditation Manager, Officer James F. Carcia, at 978-664-3131.