EASTON — Chief Gary F. Sullivan is pleased to announce that the Easton Police Department earned its re-accreditation from the Massachusetts Police Accreditation Commission (MPAC) today.
The department received its award at a ceremony on Wednesday, May 3 at the Connors Center in Dover.
The accreditation process is long and vigorous. 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.
Under the leadership of Chief Sullivan, the Easton Police Department was assessed earlier this year 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 Sullivan appointed Sgt. Leonard Coe to serve as the department’s Accreditation Manager and Sgt. Philip Adams as Assistant Accreditation Manager.
The Easton Police Department earned accreditation in 2011, when Chief Sullivan was serving as the Accreditation Manager.
“We are extremely proud to achieve re-accreditation through MPAC, proving that the Easton Police Department continues to maintain the highest standards of policing,” Chief Sullivan said. “I would like to especially thank, Sgt. Coe and Sgt. Adams for taking on this extensive project in addition to their daily tasks.”
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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