Three MACLEA Member Agencies Earn Re-Accreditation from Massachusetts Police Accreditation Commission

Date
February 28, 2023 Posted By
Leah Comins
Categories

The Executive Board of the Massachusetts Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators (MACLEA) is pleased to share that three member agencies have been re-accredited by the Massachusetts Police Accreditation Commission (MPAC).

The MPAC awarded full accreditation status to the UMass Amherst, Worcester Polytechnic Institute and Boston College Police Departments on Feb. 15.

The UMass Amherst Police Department was first awarded full accreditation in 2011. The department had also previously received MPAC Certification in 2009. The department’s accreditation manager is Officer Gerry Perkins.

The Worcester Polytechnic Institute Police Department was first awarded full accreditation in 2017. The department had also previously received MPAC Certification in 2015. The department’s accreditation manager is Lt. Brendan Green.

The Boston College Police Department was first awarded full accreditation in 2014. The department had also previously received MPAC Certification in 2013. The department’s accreditation manager is Lt. Laurene Spiess.

Accreditation is a self-initiated, lengthy and comprehensive evaluation process. Participating departments complete an internal self-review and are visited and assessed by a team of commission-appointed assessors. 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 and 125 optional standards. To achieve accreditation status, departments must meet all applicable mandatory standards as well as a percentage of the optional standards.

The standards reflect critical areas of police management, operations and technical support activities. They cover topics such as Agency Authority, Jurisdiction and Use of Force; Recruitment, Selection, and Promotion of Personnel; Training, Discipline and Internal Affairs; Patrol, Traffic Operations and Criminal Investigations; Victim/Witness Assistance; Records and Communications; Property and Evidence Control; and more.

Accreditation must be renewed every three years. The commission offers two program awards: certification and accreditation, with the latter being the higher of the two.

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The Massachusetts Police Accreditation Commission awarded full accreditation status to the UMass Amherst Police Department on Feb. 15. The department was first awarded full accreditation in 2011. (Courtesy Photo)
The Massachusetts Police Accreditation Commission awarded full accreditation status to the Worcester Polytechnic Institute Police Department on Feb. 15. The department was first awarded full accreditation in 2017. (Courtesy Photo)
The Massachusetts Police Accreditation Commission awarded full accreditation status to the Boston College Police Department on Feb. 15. The department was first awarded full accreditation in 2014. (Courtesy Photo)