MILESTONE: Billerica Police Receive Certification from the Massachusetts Police Accreditation Commission

BILLERICA — The Billerica Police Department achieved a milestone Tuesday morning, as the department received certification from the Massachusetts Police Accreditation Commission (MPAC) for the first time in its history. 

Chief Roy Frost, Town Manager Christopher Dillon, Deputy Chief Glen Magnan and Accreditation Manager Officer Dan Casey attended a ceremony at the Marlborough Country Club to accept the certification award from MPAC.  

Certification is a self-initiated evaluation process by which police departments strive to meet and maintain the highest standards of law enforcement. Certification is considered the best measure of a police department against the established best practices around the country. Certification means:

• The department is committed to meeting professional standards.  
• The department is willing to be assessed regularly by Commission-appointed assessors to confirm compliance with professional standards; and
• The department agrees to correct deficiencies discovered during the assessment to establish or re-establish compliance with standards.

The voluntary MPAC program requires that departments meet 178 mandatory standards to attain certification. Standards include maintaining up-to-date policies on 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 certification process is long and rigorous. For Billerica Police, the process began in December of 2023, when Chief Roy Frost tasked Officer Dan Casey with navigating toward the goal. Officer Casey worked closely with Administrative Lt. Robert Beloin over the course of the next two years to coordinate the effort. 

The Billerica Police Department’s certification efforts involved a self-review and subsequent evaluation by a team of Commission-appointed assessors who visited the department for a two-day assessment last year. As a result of the assessment, Billerica Police was found to be in compliance with all of the necessary standards required for certification.

“This accomplishment took a tremendous amount of commitment from many individuals at the Billerica Police Department,” said Chief Frost. “We believe that MPAC certification standards will ensure that best practices are applied and maintained throughout our organization. The result of this commitment is a safer community and a better police department. I am so proud of each of my officers who directly contributed to this prestigious accomplishment.”