Chelmsford Police Department Awarded Full State Re-Accreditation

Courtesy Photo: From, left to right, Sgt. Jason Hanscom, Chief James Spinney, Deputy Chief Dan Ahern and Town Manager Paul Cohen accepted the Chelmsford Police Department’s accreditation award from the Massachusetts Police Accreditation Commission.

Chelmsford Police Department earned its re-accreditation from the Massachusetts Police Accreditation Commission (MPAC) last week, Chief James Spinney announced Monday.

MPAC recognized the Chelmsford Police Department during an award ceremony on June 4 at the Connors Center in Dover.

“I am so proud of our Department for once again achieving this level of recognition,” Chief Spinney said. “This re-accreditation validates that the Chelmsford Police Department continues to be in line with the highest standards of law enforcement.”

The accreditation process is long and vigorous. It involves both an internal self-review and an external assessment by the Commission’s team of experts. The process is a self-initiated 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.

This is the second time the Chelmsford Police Department received its accreditation through MPAC. They first earned the accolade in 2012.

Chelmsford Deputy Chief Dan Ahern serves as the Accreditation Manager for the department, and Sgt. Jason Hanscom is the Assistant Accreditation Manager. The two conducted an initial self-assessment in preparation for the on-site review process.

The MPAC program requires that departments meet all 257 of their mandatory standards and 60 percent of the 125 optional requirements. These carefully selected measures include: 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, Traffic, Training, Drug Enforcement and Victim/Witness Assistance.

“It is the hard work of everyone in our department that makes us so successful,” Chief Spinney said. “I am proud to be able to work with such a dedicated team.”

The commission offers two program awards: certification and accreditation, with accreditation the higher of the two. Accreditation is granted for a period of three years. Participation in the program is strictly voluntary.