The East Bridgewater Police Department recently received its Certificate of Certification from the Massachusetts Police Accreditation Commission. (Photo courtesy East Bridgewater Police Department)
EAST BRIDGEWATER — Chief Michael Jenkins is pleased to report that the East Bridgewater Police Department has earned certification from the Massachusetts Police Accreditation Commission (MPAC).
The East Bridgewater Police Department received a Certificate of Certification on Wednesday, Oct. 30, during an awards ceremony that was attended by Chief Jenkins, Deputy Chief Michael McLaughlin, Sgt. Antonio Ferreira, Town Administrator Charlie Seelig, and Select Board Chair Dave Sheedy.
Certification status has been awarded for a period of three years, ending October 2027.
Chief Jenkins wishes to recognize Accreditation Manager Deputy Chief McLaughlin for his efforts in coordinating the process.
Certification is a self-initiated evaluation process by which police departments strive to meet and maintain the highest standards of law enforcement. Certification is considered the best measure of a police department against the established best practices around the country. Certification means:
- The department is committed to meeting professional standards.
- The department is willing to be assessed regularly by Commission-appointed assessors to confirm compliance with professional standards; and
- The department agrees to correct deficiencies discovered during the assessment to establish or re-establish compliance with standards.
The voluntary MPAC program requires that departments meet 178 mandatory standards to attain certification. Standards include maintaining up-to-date policies on 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.
The certification process is long and rigorous. The East Bridgewater Police Department’s certification efforts involved a self-review and subsequent evaluation by a team of Commission-appointed assessors who visited the department for a two-day assessment and found the department to fully comply with all of the necessary standards required for certification.
Certification is considered a significant step toward accreditation, which requires departments to meet additional benchmarks in order to achieve MPAC’s highest standard for police departments, and Chief Jenkins fully intends for the department to seek accreditation as well.
“I am thrilled to share that the East Bridgewater Police Department has received certification,” Chief Jenkins said. “This has been one of my main goals, and this milestone reflects our commitment to excellence in public safety. This certification signifies that we meet the highest standards in law enforcement, ensuring that our policies, procedures, and practices align with national best practices. This achievement wouldn’t have been possible without the hard work and dedication of all department members, and I couldn’t be prouder of their efforts. I am confident that this is the first step in a thorough process leading to accreditation.”
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