Burlington Police Department Re-Accredited by Massachusetts Police Accreditation Commission

BURLINGTON — Chief Thomas P. Browne is pleased to share that the Burlington Police Department has been awarded re-accreditation by the Massachusetts Police Accreditation Commission (MPAC).

The department received the distinction during MPAC’s meeting on Oct. 20 in Marlborough. The department first received accreditation in 2008, and has achieved re-accreditation every three years since.

Accreditation is a self-initiated, lengthy and comprehensive evaluation process. Participating departments complete an internal self-review and an external assessment by MPAC experts. 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 as well as 125 optional standards. In order to achieve accreditation status, the department was required to meet all applicable mandatory standards as well as 60% of the optional standards.

These carefully selected standards reflect critical areas of police management, operations and technical support activities. They cover areas such as 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, Training, Traffic, Drug Enforcement and Victim/Witness Assistance.

“Achieving re-accreditation is a testament to the professionalism, dedication and hard work of our officers and staff, who work every day to uphold the highest standards of law enforcement,” said Chief Browne. “I’m proud of the department’s continued commitment to these standards and grateful to everyone who contributed to this accomplishment.”

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