On September 6, 2007 the Georgetown Police Department became the 31st police department in Massachusetts to become certified. Sgt. Cudmore along with Chief Mulligan were the certification managers. The certification is the result of a voluntary evaluation process in which the department was independently assessed against 151 specific standards of excellence in police management, operations and technical-support activities. The standards reflect best practice in areas such as policy development, emergency response planning, training, communications, property and evidence handling, use of force, vehicular pursuit, prisoner transportation and holding facilities.
Sgt Donald Cudmore receiving recognition placque from Chief Mulligan on his hard work on getting the Georgetown Police Department Certified.
Sgt Donald Cudmore along with Chief Mulligan receiving the certification plaque from Chief Brian Pattullo from Andover PD.
The standards for certification impact officer and public safety, address high liability/risk management issues, and promote operational efficiency and accountability throughout the agency. Generally, these changes involve policy writing, facility improvements and equipment purchases. Listed below are some of the more common benefits.
Certification:
• provides a norm for an agency to judge its performance.
• provides a basis to correct deficiencies before they become public problems.
• requires agencies to commit policies and procedures to writing.
• promotes accountability among agency personnel and the evenhanded application of policies.
• provides a means of independent evaluation of agency operations.
• minimizes an agency’s exposure to liability, builds a stronger defense against lawsuits, and has the potential to reduce liability insurance costs.
• enhances the reputation of the agency and increases the public’s confidence in it.
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