The Middleborough Police Department went through its first Re-Accreditation two-day on-site review in September 2024. The Chief was notified in early December that the Department was approved and granted Accreditation once again through the Massachusetts Police Accreditation Commission (MPAC).
The Accreditation process is aimed at providing accountability among agency personnel and ensuring policies are applied even handedly; providing a statewide norm against which agencies can judge their performance; providing a basis to correct deficiencies before they become public problems; providing independent evaluation of agency operations; enhancing the reputation of an agency, increasing public confidence; and minimizing insurance costs and agency liability.
In 2022, MPAC updated their standards to an edition that is more reflective of Massachusetts police standards, and, as such, the Accreditation process is now comprised of 274 Mandatory Standards and 66 Optional Standards. The evaluation includes reviewing management, operations, technical support activities, policies, emergency response planning, training, communications, facilities, equipment, evidence handling, use of force, vehicular pursuit policies, prisoner transportation and holding facilities among other topics.
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 Middleborough Police Department will be next reviewed for its second Re-Accreditation in the fall of 2027.