Marblehead Police Department has retained its accreditation from the the Massachusetts Police Accreditation Commission.
Police Chief Dennis King brought the news before the Marblehead Select Board on Wednesday night.
“What this means is we adhere to the best practices in policing from professional standards to hiring and use of force to transparency,” King told Select Board members. “We are guided by 257 different standards that probably covers over 200 pages.”
The accreditation process is not compulsory, but an evaluation process that police departments subject themselves to. Independent evaluators come in and look over everything from a department’s policies and procedures to police practices.
“It really is a complete department accomplishment,” King said. He added the recertification comes after Marblehead first earned accreditation in 2019. The hard-earned status comes with many benefits, including “reducing liabilities and lower insurance rates,” as well as but not limited to, according to the Upton Police Department:
- A norm for the Marblehead Police Department to judge its performance
- A basis to correct deficiencies before they become public problems
- Accountability among agency personnel
- A means of independent evaluation of agency operations for quality assurance
- Enhances the reputation of the agency and promotes public confidence in it
- Reduces liability exposure by following best practices for delivery of services and supervision of personnel