Georgetown Police Department Once Again Achieves Full State Accreditation

Friday, Oct. 3, 2014

GEORGETOWN -- Police Chief Donald Cudmore is proud to announce that the Georgetown Police Department has been re-accredited by Massachusetts Police Accreditation Commission (MPAC), making it one only 55 departments across the Commonwealth to receive such an honor.

"Accreditation is a seal of recognition, which acknowledges that the Georgetown Police Department is in line with the best standards of law enforcement," Chief Cudmore said. "I am proud of the work we have done to achieve and maintain this standard."

The award was given at ceremony on Thursday, Oct 2, at the Connors Center in Dover.

Receiving full accreditation is a laborious process, involving months of work and a complete review of a police department’s rules, policies, and operations to ensure they fall in line with the best professional law enforcement standards in the country.

It is considered the best measure of a police department against the established best practices around the country and region.

The process includes a intense self-review and an external assessment by the Commission’s external team.

The MPAC program includes 257 mandatory police department standards and 125 optional standards. In order to achieve accreditation, a department must meet all required standards and at least 60 percent of the optional ones. Standards that are reviewed 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.

This is the third time the Georgetown Police Department has been awarded accreditation. MPAC Accreditation is done every three years. The department was accredited in 2008 and was re-accredited in 2011 and now in 2014. It began the process by achieving the second tier "Certification" status in 2007. 

The accreditation review is conducted by volunteer assessors from outside police agencies, who are trained by the MPAC Executive Director. Police Departments voluntarily subject themselves to the accreditation process as a way to allow an outside, transparent review of their work.

Chief Cudmore would like to recognize the work of Sergeant Scott Hatch, the department's accreditation manager. Chief Cudmore was the accreditation officer as a sergeant when the process began in 2007.

"I am very proud of the entire police department and all of its employees for their dedication to the accreditation program," Chief Cudmore said. "That is what makes it such a success."