Boxford Police Department is Now Accredited by the Massachusetts Police Accreditation Commission
The Boxford Select Board and Chief James B. Riter are pleased to announce that the Boxford Police Department has been fully accredited by the Massachusetts Police Accreditation Commission (MPAC).
The MPAC voted to award full accreditation status to the department on June 21, 2023. The Boxford Select Board recognized Chief Riter and the Boxford Police Department for their achievement on August 7th.
“Boxford is proud to have earned full accreditation,” Town Administrator Matthew Coogan said. “The achievement recognizes the significant progress the police department has made within the last several years. On behalf of the Select Board, I congratulate Chief Riter and the entire Boxford Police Department.”
“This is an important department-wide achievement that demonstrates our continued commitment to the highest law enforcement standards and service,” said Chief James Riter. “Our accreditation leaders, Lt. Matthew Dupont, Officer Kurtis Anderson, and Officer David Barker, as well as resident Scott Wilson, were key to this achievement. It is illustrative of how the employees of the Boxford Police Department strive to better serve the residents of Boxford every day”.
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 to be the best measure for a police department to compare itself against the established best practices around the region and country.
The department was assessed on February 27th by a team of MPAC-appointed assessors. The assessment team found the department to be in compliance with all applicable standards for accreditation. The Boxford Police Department was in a self-assessment phase before formally working toward initial certification in 2022.
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 55% 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.
To learn more about the MPAC, visit: masspoliceaccred.net.
MPAC accredited agencies adhere to the best practices in policing and formally commit to be reviewed on an ongoing basis. The Boxford Police Department will be required to maintain proof of compliance with the accreditation standards while also making updates based on new policies, laws, and regulations. Accreditation awards are valid for three years and require a reassessment by MPAC to achieve reaccreditation.