ACTON — Chief James Cogan is pleased to report that the Acton Police Department earned re-accreditation from the Massachusetts Police Accreditation Commission (MPAC)
The Acton Police Department earned re-accreditation on Wednesday, June 26. The department was first accredited in 2021. Re-accreditation lasts for three years, meaning the department will now remain accredited until 2027.
“Accreditation is the best standard by which we can judge our policies and practices,” said Chief Cogan. “I am pleased that the Acton Police Department has once again earned accreditation, which ensures to our community that we are meeting and exceeding the highest standards of law enforcement.”
Accreditation is a self-initiated, lengthy and comprehensive evaluation process. Participating departments complete an internal self-review and an external assessment by MPAC experts. The process is a voluntary 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 Massachusetts Police Accreditation Program consists of 257 mandatory standards as well as 125 optional standards. To achieve accreditation status, the department was required to meet all applicable mandatory standards as well as 55% of the optional standards.
These carefully selected standards reflect critical areas of police management, operations and technical support activities. They cover areas such as policy development, emergency response planning, training, communications, property and evidence handling, use of force, vehicular pursuit, detainee transportation and holding facilities.
Chief Cogan wishes to recognize the Acton Police Accreditation Team, Deputy Chief Douglas Sturniolo, Lt. Scott Krug, Detective Douglas Mahoney and Officer Monica Ricci.