WILMINGTON — The Wilmington Police Department has once again earned re-accreditation from the Massachusetts Police Accreditation Commission (MPAC).
The department received the distinction during MPAC’s meeting on Friday, Oct. 23. The department was first accredited in 2011, and this award marks the 6th time Wilmington Police have received re-accreditation.
Accreditation is a self-initiated, lengthy, and comprehensive evaluation process. This year’s accreditation was overseen by Accreditation Manager Lt. Matthew Stavro, with assistance from previous accreditation manager Lt. Dan Murray and Detective/School Resource Officer Emily McMeekin.
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.
Accreditation is valid for three years and requires agencies to undergo reassessment to maintain their status. Re-accreditation follows a comprehensive on-site assessment conducted by a team of MPAC assessors, who reviewed more than 365 standards.
The Massachusetts Police Accreditation Program consists of 259 mandatory standards as well as 120 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. Wilmington Police met 74 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.
“Accreditation is the gold standard in accountability and best practices, and I am proud of this department’s history of remaining fully accredited and exceeding the optional standards,” said Chief Brian Pupa. “I am also grateful to Lt. Matthew Stavro and the others who helped guide us through this process.”
MPAC-accredited agencies are required to maintain continuous compliance with established standards and adapt to evolving laws, policies and best practices.
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