ESSEX — Chief Paul Francis is pleased to announce that a team of assessors from the Massachusetts Police Accreditation Commission is scheduled to visit the Essex Police Department next month to begin examining various aspects of the agency’s policies and procedures, operations and facilities for re-accreditation.
The assessors arrive on Oct. 12 and will conclude their work on Oct. 14.
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.
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.
Administrative Sgt. Daniel Bruce organized the assessment and arranged for members of the command staff at four outside law enforcement agencies to assess the Essex Police Department’s compliance with all required standards as well as optional standards.
“Earning accreditation and re-accreditation requires a department-wide, in-depth examination and evaluation of everything from policies and procedures to facilities and equipment, and we welcome the scrutiny as we work to provide the highest possible level of service to our community,” Chief Francis said.
Achieving accreditation is a highly prized recognition of law enforcement professional excellence.
Anyone interested in learning more about this program is invited to call Chief Francis or the Department’s Accreditation Manager, Sgt. Daniel Bruce, at (978) 768-6628.
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